Ukrainian politicians, leaders: Stop Nord Stream 2 now

Editor’s Note: The following open letter is signed by dozens of Ukrainian politicians, civil society leaders and others in opposition to the decision by U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to waive congressionally-mandated sanctions against the Swiss-registered Nord Stream AG company, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned Gazprom, and its CEO, Matthias Warnig, an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The pipeline is 95 percent complete and, coupled with the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline, would allow Russia to transport 110 billion cubic meters of gas annually under the Baltic Sea directly to Germany. The transit would bypass Ukraine’s pipeline network, through which most Russian gas has been transported to Europe, and leave Ukraine vulnerable to a deeper Russian military invasion, posing an unacceptable security risk, in the view of many in Ukraine. Without a halt to construction, the pipeline is expected to become operational this year.

Open Letter: The Time to Stop Nord Stream 2 is Now