Russians will try to create their own technical capacities to finish the pipeline, Kobolyev says.
Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev has said Ukraine is in talks with the United States and other partners on how to finally “bury” Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if sanctions fail to bring its construction to a halt.
“The game is not over yet. Russians will try to create their own technical capacity to finish the pipeline. As we all know they are not really good at creating efficient and modern vessels. If you look at the best aircraft carriers, that explains a lot. But still, such possibility does exist, and we are currently discussing, also here, to see how to make sure that the project is actually dead,” he told the Atlantic Council in Washington on March 3, 2020.
“We hope that U.S. government will continue in the same direction,” Kobolyev said, praising U.S. sanction policy targeting companies involved in Nord Stream pipe laying, adding that it was one of the most important steps to ensure Ukraine’s energy security.
(c) Unian
“As we all know they are not really good at creating efficient and modern vessels. If you look at the best aircraft carriers, that explains a lot.”
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What about sanctioning any port that conducts works to repair these pipe laying vessels?
US sanctions against Gazprom Flot’s and MRTS’s vessels. If imposed it will be more than likely that no foreign company will agree to work on the project, e.g. PSV’s ships will not be chartered to transport pipes, no insurance company will agree to insure the ships working on the Baltic and no company will want to transport the employees. To exchange the Allseas crews helicopters were used 3 times a week. Such limitations will make it impossible for any Russian ship to complete Nord Stream 2. Gazprom has proven that Nord Stream 2 has little to do with doing actual business. Now the company needs to save its face and a few billion Euros currently drowning in the Baltic depths.
Stanley is correct, You would need to sanction anyone providing any service to the vessels laying the pipe. Crew exchange, foodstuffs, fuel, and anything else required to keep the project going.