OREANDA-NEWS. Former Foreign Minister of Germany Sigmar Gabriel stated that the interests of Russia and Germany in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline coincide, and the United States began to oppose the project when American nation became a gas exporter.

“We are 30 % dependent on gas supplies from Russia, there is no doubt about it. I suspect that it is important for Russia that we buy this gas. The interests here are mutual, it’s pretty obvious,” the politician said at the German-Russian forum “Potsdam Meetings” in Moscow.

At the same time, he noted that Berlin is interested in maintaining gas transit through Ukraine.

“President Putin said that from the point of view of Russia this is not an obstacle. Our position is support for Nord Stream… As for the United States, the Americans began to consider Russian gas a problem when they turned into gas exporters. Maybe this is a coincidence. I do not know whether such coincidences happen,” ex-Vice-Chancellor of the FRG said about Washington’s position on this matter.

The Nord Stream 2 project involves the construction of two pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. The pipeline will pass through territorial waters or the exclusive economic zones of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Denmark was the last state to issue a permit for the construction of a pipeline section on its shelf southeast of Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea.

Ukraine and a number of European countries, including Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as the United States are actively opposing realization of the Nord Stream 2 project. They consider it to be threatening energy security in Europe.