The US President Donald trump and the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini called a “geopolitical weapon” of Moscow the project of the pipeline “Nord stream — 2”. In a joint statement after talks in Washington, the leaders also expressed support for the territorial integrity and Ukraine’s energy security. Experts believe that the current Prime Minister of Slovakia aimed at rapprochement with the United States, but their purpose in the gas sector vary greatly. If Washington tries to oust Moscow from the European market, then Slovakia, it is important to keep gas transit through its territory, and the country’s leadership is already in talks on this topic with Gazprom, analysts said.

  • The Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini President of the United States Donald trump
  • Reuters
  • © Jonathan Ernst

The Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini President of the United States Donald trump called the pipeline “Nord stream — 2” a “geopolitical weapon.” This is stated in the joint statement of the leaders of the two countries, adopted following the talks in Washington.

In addition, in his statement, Slovak and American leaders emphasized that “strongly supports” the sovereignty, territorial integrity and energy security Russia’s neighboring Ukraine. This implies, in particular, the reverse gas supplies to the Ukrainian market from the territory of Slovakia.

“We reiterate our rejection of the use of energy as a geopolitical weapon, including the “Nord stream — 2,” said trump and Pellegrini, adding that the anti-Russian sanctions cannot be lifted before full implementation of the Minsk agreements.

We will remind, the talks between Donald trump and Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini was held may 3 at the White house. In the announcement of the meeting, the press service of the U.S. administration, explained that the topics the two leaders will be the issues of defense cooperation and energy security.

“A purely political project”

Anxiety Bratislava about the “Nord stream — 2” is due to the fact that Slovakia is involved in the chain of gas supplies passing through Ukrainian territory. After going through the Ukrainian GTS, the Russian natural gas flows in the Slovak pipeline and further distributed through Europe. To date, revenues from the transit of fuel to bring to the Slovak budget of about €700-800 million annually. After the launch of the project “Northern stream — 2” and “Turkish stream” the volume of Ukrainian and Slovak transit can be reduced, if not found new ways of utilizing GTS Republic.

  • The welding process onboard the lay vessel C10
  • © nord-stream2.com

In 2015, the head of the Slovak Cabinet (then the post was occupied by Robert fico. — RT) has stated that it considers “Nord stream — 2” is not a commercial but a political project. According to policy, the pipeline will strengthen the positions of Russia and Germany.

“This is a purely political project, we reject its characterization as a commercial,” said fico to journalists after the EU summit in Brussels.

The same statement in regard to the “Nord stream — 2” is constantly heard from the representatives of the United States, Poland and Ukraine: the leadership of these countries insisted that Moscow could certainly use the start of the second branch of the TRANS-Baltic gas pipeline to exert political pressure on Kiev to deprive him of the income from the transit of Russian gas (today, the revenues of Ukraine for the transit of about $3 billion a year. — RT). Previously, Kiev has filed a lawsuit against the Russian “Gazprom” in the Stockholm arbitration court with a demand to pay $12 billion as “compensation” for the Russian side the construction of gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine.

  • LNG tanker in the Polish port of świnoujście
  • Reuters
  • © Agencja Gazata/Cezary Aszkielowicz

In the White house, in turn, constantly talking about the fact that the launch of “Nord stream — 2” allegedly threatens the energy security of the whole of Europe and put the European consumer in dependence on Russia. In the alternative, the Washington suggests the European partners to increase the import of American liquefied natural gas (LNG), which in the end will be much more expensive. The American side even tried to threaten sanctions to European companies involved in the project “Northern stream — 2”, but have been met with considerable resentment and resistance on the part of European governments.

“Germany pays billions of dollars a year in Russia, and we protect this country from Russia. They build the pipeline, which aims to pay billions of dollars to the Treasury of Russia. I think this is absolutely unacceptable,” — said earlier, Donald trump, commenting on the plans of Berlin and Moscow for the launch of “Nord stream — 2”.

With a similar critique acts and Warsaw. In April of this year, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki compared gas supplies through the pipeline “Nord stream — 2” with the purchase of Russian weapons.

“To pay for Russian gas — is how to pay for weapons, President Putin,” said Morawiecki.

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Bratislava, in turn, though, and spoke about the “political” nature of the pipeline, but in 2016 began negotiations with Gazprom for future gas supplies and transit.

As has declared then the Russian government, Moscow is ready to work on removing the risks for Slovakia. So, as one of the options considered was the creation of the transit corridor of gas supplies from Germany to the Balkans and Hungary after starting the “Nord stream — 2”.

In 2017, “Gazprom export” signed a framework agreement with the Slovak Eustream a.s. for the period up to 2050 in the amount of €5.3 billion under the terms of the agreement, the Russian company can get access to the CTA of the Republic. As explained by the representatives of “Gazprom”, this document provides the basis for future substantive contracts for transportation of raw materials.

In the future, Slovakia can participate in the chain of supply of gas in the other direction: along with Serbia, Bulgaria and Hungary, the Republic can transport the raw materials that will be supplied to the European market via the gas pipeline “Turkish stream”, this option is also being considered by the Russian side.

Realistic goals diverge

Initially to think about the redistribution of transit flows to the Ukrainian direction, Moscow had because of the actions of Kiev, experts remind. Thus, the Ukrainian authorities need to revise transit tariffs enshrined in already signed the contract to raise them by about 40%. In addition, Kiev makes a complaint and the volume of fuel requiring to increase the supply, but is in no hurry to invest in the modernization of the gas transport network.

In 2017, the head of the Ukrainian energy Ministry criticized the leadership of “Naftogaz” for failing to invest in maintenance and development of the GTS, saying that it could result in pipeline failure. However, the appeals of the Minister and has not been heard. At the same time, according to experts, the Ukrainian transit is not only political, but also technological risks. Analysts say that if someone should be blamed for the reduction of transit on the Ukrainian direction, then in the first place Kiev.

  • The Gas Pipeline, Ukraine
  • AFP
  • © ALEXANDER ZOBIN

According to the President of the Center for strategic communications Dmitry Abzalov, the Prime Minister of Slovakia ought to lay the blame for the threat of termination of transit in Kyiv and not to criticize Moscow and Berlin for the construction of “Nord stream — 2”.

“In fact, such attacks on the “Nord stream — 2″, which encourages Washington, are not associated with concern about the interests of Ukraine or Slovakia, and with the desire of States to press Russia on the European energy market. The United States being now gas exporters and competitors on the market, in principle, oppose the Russian export,” the expert explained in an interview with RT.

According to Abzalov, the real goal of Bratislava and Washington diverge, as for Slovakia it is important to keep the transit of raw materials through its territory, while the States would like to oust Russia from the European energy market.

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“The fact that tactically the US supports Ukraine and Slovakia, should not mislead. In fact, any disruption of pipeline supplies from Russia into the hands of only the American side. In Bratislava should understand it”, — explained the expert.

Therefore, although the government of Slovakia and opposed the “Nord stream — 2”, the rhetoric of the Slovak government is much softer than, for example, statements of the Polish authorities on the subject, analysts said. In General Bratislava strives to maintain constructive relations with Moscow, believes Dmitry Abzalov. The fact that, unlike Poland, Slovakia because of the distance from the sea can not build LNG terminals to buy liquefied natural gas directly from producers. So the country is forced to somehow focus on pipeline supply.

“Slovakia is advantageous to negotiate with Moscow because she will still buy Russian gas, — said the expert. — Rhetoric Bratislava wants to strengthen their bargaining position. But in any case, the volume of transit through the Slovak territory continues, though not as big as before. Relations between Russia and Slovakia is a complex political and economic aspects. It is worth Recalling that, traditionally, Bratislava has been made against the excessive strengthening of the position of NATO in the region, although involved in the Alliance.”

“Bratislava have only lost”

We note that recently in the Slovak government about the dispute about the format of military cooperation with the Pentagon. The Ministry of defense was released in March from negotiations with our American colleagues on the conclusion of bilateral Agreements on cooperation in defense sphere (Defense Cooperation Agreement — DCA). Mostly Slovak military did not like the initiative, according to which the United States planned to provide Bratislava with financial support for the modernization of two military airfields. As explained in the defense Ministry, the signing of the Treaty in such circumstances would jeopardize the sovereignty of the Republic and may be grounds for placement in the country of American troops.

In addition, that document does not even specify how much equipment and personnel of the U.S. armed forces may be on Slovak territory, and funds in the amount of $105 million was planned to transfer to Slovakia through the “European initiative of deterrence” — the defense programme adopted by the White house in response to the events of 2014 in Crimea and Ukraine.

  • The Minister of defence of Slovakia Peter Gajdoš
  • globallookpress.com
  • © mod.gov.sk

The decision of the Minister of defence Peter Gaidosh not met the approval of the Prime Minister, however, was supported in Parliament. Chairman of the National Council, the leader member of the coalition government of the Republic of the Slovak national party Andrej Danko said about the need to renegotiate the terms of the impending Slovak-American defense Treaty.

“We will insist that the new cooperation agreement with the United States in the defense sphere was not a word about the temporary or permanent presence in the Republic of the U.S. armed forces,” — said the MP.

According to experts, the differences in the government on the question of relations with the Pentagon has emerged after 2018 Robert fico as Prime Minister was replaced by his fellow party member Peter Pellegrini. Last decided to correct the country’s course towards rapprochement with Washington. However, supporters of the former policy to retain a strong position in the government and Parliament and oppose some of the ideas of the new Prime Minister. Earlier this view in an interview with RT expressed by the expert of the International Institute of humanitarian and political studies Vladimir Bruter.

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Commenting on the position of the Ministry of defense and the Chairman of the Parliament of Slovakia on the issue of military presence of the US forces in the country, Dmitry Abzalov noted that the appearance of American military bases not only would not have worked Bratislava, but also complicated relations with Russia.

“This would strengthen the position of Washington, but Bratislava have only lost, and this would have negative consequences in the political and economic spheres. Therefore Slovakia does not want to risk the cooperation with Moscow”, — said the expert.

A similar view is shared by senior researcher of the Center for European studies, IMEMO RAS Vladimir olenchenko. According to the expert, although Peter Pellegrini follows the American line, for Slovakia is more important to maintain a constructive relationship with Moscow and not play on the US side.

“It is not excluded that now the situation with the “Nord stream — 2″ and a possible loss of Slovakia, income from the transit of supporters of the Pro-American policy will attempt to use for political speculation anti-Russian, to guide Bratislava the Polish way. But it is doubtful that they will succeed”, — concluded the expert.