Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait – the narrow passage the separates the Sea of Azov from the Black Sea and strategically separates Ukraine’s occupied Crimea region from the Russian mainland – has raised serious questions about the trustworthiness of the country’s energy dealings with Europe, an official from the Bureau of Energy Resources said.

“Given Russia’s aggression in recent weeks, this is a good time to spotlight our diplomacy in this area. The energy security of our European partners and allies is a longstanding strategic priority of the United States. The United States strongly condemns recent Russian aggression in the Sea of Azov,” US Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Frank Fannon said in a conference call with reporters on December 11.

“The Russian Federation’s closure of the Kerch Strait is a clear violation of international law,” he said. “More broadly, there’s a problem because you’re expecting to trust Russia to maintain and not cut off that gas,” Fannon said in reference to the gas transit to Europe via Ukraine under a contract that expires in 2019. If Russia successfully completes its Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project to Germany, it will bypass Ukraine and effectively cripple its economy at a time when Kyiv is still having to whether the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region.

 

Full article available: https://www.neweurope.eu/article/kerch-strait-closure-calls-russian-projects-in-europe-into-question/

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