Administration officials in Washington "quietly urged their Ukrainian counterparts to refrain from criticizing" the upcoming US-Germany agreement on the Nord Stream-2 pipeline, writes Politico edition.
“US officials have indicated that publicly opposing the upcoming agreement could harm bilateral relations between Washington and Kiev. Officials also urged Ukrainians not to discuss potential plans of the United States and Germany with Congress, ”the statement said.
American negotiators and diplomats made it clear to the Ukrainian side that they had given up blocking the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will carry cheap natural gas from Russia to Germany.
At the same time, Politico notes that a high-ranking representative of the US administration disputed this data, saying that the situation is more nuanced, but the official refused to give details about the negotiations with Kiev.
Critics of the upcoming US-German pact on Nord Stream 2 say it will serve primarily Russian interests and hurt relations between Washington and Kiev.
"It is unbalanced and unfair that Russia is receiving huge benefits, and Ukraine has been criticized," Politico quoted Alina Polyakova, president and general director of the Center for European Policy Analysis. “It is 100 percent true that if Trump did it, everyone would go crazy,” she added.
The United States and Germany on Wednesday may announce an agreement on Nord Stream 2, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, July 20, citing sources in Berlin and Washington. According to the newspaper, the American administration will no longer oppose the gas pipeline project. Germany, in turn, will commit itself to helping Ukraine with energy projects and diplomacy.
The deal between Berlin and Washington stipulates that Germany will take action against Russia if Nord Stream 2 is used as a weapon against Ukraine. The draft agreement also provides that Germany will use its leverage to achieve an extension of the gas transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia for up to 10 years after its expiration in 2024, Bloomberg writes. In addition, the United States and Germany will seek to raise up to $ 1 billion in investment in a special fund to help Ukraine move to cleaner energy sources. Germany will also appoint a special envoy for the development of bilateral projects with Ukraine in the energy sector, allocating him $ 70 million.
