Bargained. Who will ultimately pay for Ukrainian transit

Sergey Kondratiev made a comment to the Prime news agency on the Russian gas supplies to EU countries.

Constant discussions and proposals on how to stop the operation of the not yet launched Nord Stream 2 have already become a trend in European politics, Sergey Kondratiev, Deputy Head of the Economic Department of the Institute of Energy and Finance says. Now Denmark has joined Poland and the Baltic states.

According to him, it is surprising that the issue of stopping the operation of the gas pipeline is being discussed at a time when spot gas prices in the EU are at historic highs.

"It is obvious that the suspension of transit via Nord Stream 2 (if the EU makes such a decision) and the Ukrainian route (if it is unprofitable for Gazprom due to high pumping tariffs) will lead to a sharp increase in prices and will be unprofitable, in the first place, to the Europeans themselves, "- Kondratiev says.

“That is, de facto, it is the EU consumers who will eventually pay for the Ukrainian transit,” he explains.

In any case, this initiative is "very far from free market, competition and efficiency." And it is unlikely that such regulation can be applied formally - this is a direct violation of antimonopoly legislation.