The construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline in the form of two lines and the Nord Stream 2, which is actively lobbied by the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, will deprive Ukraine of a $ billion income a year, as well as lower almost fivefold the cost of the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS), Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev told one of Ukrainian TV channels.
”It is clear that any asset is worth as much as they pay for it within the framework of a fair transaction, or as much as it brings to its owner. A large extent of the cost of the Ukrainian gas transportation system is determined by whether it will see transit after 2019,” Kobolev said.
”In case of the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream projects in the format of two lines, there will be no transit through Ukrainian territory. This will reduce the cost of the Ukrainian gas transportation system almost fivefold. As of today, it brings in about $2 billion a year,” he said.
Kobolev stressed that Ukraine had insisted and continues to insist on political bias of both projects.
”These projects have two goals. The first one is the victory over Ukraine in the economic war. The second goal is the conquest of Eastern Europe. It is an old `divide and rule` practice,” Kobolev said.
However, he pointed out that Ukraine was taking active efforts to prove its European partners its views and to persuade them to abandon the construction of additional transport capacities bypassing our country. And one of Kyiv`s arguments was a proposal to jointly use the Ukrainian gas transport system and earn on Ukrainian transit.
”We strive to convince the EU to say `no`. So they could say: ”We are satisfied with Ukrainian transit, it is reliable, and let us build nothing,” Kobolev said.
