New US sanctions against the Russian-German Nord Stream 2 pipeline , designed to exert more pressure on Russia without antagonizing Germany, caused European (Dutch) natural gas to rise 8.7% with ratings back above. share 90 euros per kilowatt / hour. Also for this reason (but not only) the White House is thinking of eliminating them. It is clear that, after the oil price surveys, the US administration’s backtracking on the new sanctions could have the effect of clearing the ground for price increases and giving Kiev more time for another energy-related operation with ” view ”Aegean. SANCTIONS
Until yesterday, the sanctions concerned specific and already identified cases. As theTransadria Ltd. , based in Cyprus but believed to be a Russian shell company, featured in a paper sent to Congress for the work done by one of its ships, the Marlin , as well as the Blue Ship , also cited for its work on the pipeline but not sanctioned because it belongs to a German company. On the one hand, there are those who argue that the new sanctions would have been delayed, given that Nord Stream 2 has now been completed for two months; on the other hand, the US thesis that represents a threat to European energy independence remains standing.
On this point, critics of the Biden administration in Congress, led by Republican Senator Ted Cruz, continue to push for the United States to take a tougher stance against the project. The response of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, however, leaves no room for maneuver: “Even if the administration continues to oppose the Nord Stream 2 pipeline , including through our sanctions, we continue to work with Germany and other allies and partners to reduce the risks posed by the pipeline to Ukraine and the frontline countries of NATO and the EU and to reject harmful Russian activities, including in the energy sphere ”. GAS PIPELINE
The new sanctions “on Nord Stream 2 are a continuation of the sanctioning language, which Washington stubbornly does not want to give up in any way,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that “this is something we consider extremely negative, illegal and wrong especially against the background of intense attempts to develop the previously lost dialogue ”.
A dialogue that also touches other aspects, such as the diversification of energy supply for the old continent which, today more than ever, also passes through Greece on which the US is betting a lot. The volume of American LNG arriving in the Aegean is in fact constantly increasing, for this reason the US opponents would like to prevent the privatization of the Greek port of Alexandroupolis, next to which there is a gas depot for storage in the Kavala port . All just a few kilometers from the Tap pipeline and via Carpatia.
But another message is also being sent to Moscow: that this situation may delay the operation of Nord Stream 2 for a few months, in order to allow the United States to modernize Ukraine’s energy sector. In that case, Kiev may have more time to try to negotiate a new gas transit agreement with Russia.
@FDepalo
