Merkel offers guarantees on Russia’s gas pipeline, Ukraine calls for greater clarity

KYIV, Aug 22 (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday offered assurances that Ukraine would not suffer the construction of Russia’s North Stream 2 pipeline, but Ukraine said talks about its future as a transit country had been vague.

On her last visit to Kiev before retiring as chancellor next month, Merkel said “gas should not be used as a geopolitical weapon” by Russia and that Germany could impose new sanctions. in Moscow if necessary.

“It is important that Ukraine remains a transit land,” he said after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He called for the extension of the existing transit agreement with Russia with Russia beyond the 2024 expiration, adding that Germany would support Ukraine’s gradual transition to renewable energy.

Germany has given financial aid and diplomatic support to Ukraine since the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 and the outbreak of war in the eastern Donbass region between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed forces the same year.

But Kiev has bitterly opposed a deal between Berlin and Washington over North Stream 2, which will bring gas to Europe as it bypasses Ukraine. The administration of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, has not tried to kill the project with sanctions, as pressured by Ukraine.

The Zelenskiy government sees the pipeline as a threat to European security.

“I think this is a weapon. I think not realizing that it is a dangerous weapon, not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe, is wrong,” Zelenskiy said at a joint press conference.

“As for the continuation of traffic through Ukraine after 2024, I think so far these things are too general.”

Merkel’s visit comes two days after meeting President Vladimir Putin on his last official visit to Russia, where he had also insisted on Putin’s status as a transit country for Ukraine.

Putin told reporters that Moscow was willing to extend the transit deal beyond 2024, but that it needed more details.

Merkel also wants to make further progress in peace talks over eastern Ukraine and on Sunday called for negotiations “in Normandy format” between the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine.

“In my opinion, that would allow progress,” he said. “I’m glad Zelenskiy says he’d be ready to do it.”

The agreement between the United States and Germany included a commitment to help Ukraine continue to receive transit fares once Nord Stream 2 goes into operation.

But the head of Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz Yuriy Vitrenko told Reuters last month that he did not believe Russia would continue to transit any gas through Ukraine beyond 2024.

Reports by Andreas Rinke and Pavel Polityuk in Kiev and Kirsti Knolle in Berlin; Written by Tom Sims and Matthias Williams; Edited by David Clarke and Emelia Sithole-Matarise

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