OREANDA-NEWS. The US and its allies are working to create a contingency plan if Russian gas supplies are cut off due to a hypothetical Russian "invasion" of Ukraine. It is reported by CNN.

Energy expert at the American Center for Strategic and International Studies Nikos Tzafos expressed the opinion that even small interruptions in supplies will lead to disruption of the European gas transportation system. According to him, this problem can be solved, but the refusal to export Russian energy resources will lead to disaster.

The German political scientist Janis Kluge adheres to the same position. According to him, the role of Russia in the energy sector of Europe is so great that with a ban on the export of Russian gas, it will be impossible to fill the supply gap in the coming months.

Earlier, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US authorities intend to prevent the commissioning of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if Russia invades Ukraine.

“I want to make it very clear: if Russia invades Ukraine in one way or another, the implementation of Nord Stream 2 will not budge,” the American representative said. He added: "We want to make it as clear as possible."

As long as the pipeline is not running, this allows the US administration, along with the German authorities, to put pressure on Russia, Price believes.

At the same time, the representative of the State Department clarified: “This is an instrument of pressure for us, for Germany, for the transatlantic community, because gas does not go through the pipeline. This is not an instrument of pressure for Vladimir Putin.”

At the same time, the United States believes that the possibility of "stopping" the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is an effective lever of influence on Russia. This was stated by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.