Ukraine advocates for considering the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project at a meeting of the Normandy Four leaders, because it concerns national security. This was stated by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak at the YES Brainstorming event organized by the Yalta European Strategy in Kyiv.
"We believe that it is absolutely logical to add consideration of these issues to the important issues of the Normandy format on the ceasefire and the general settlement of the conflict," Yermak said.
He said that the Nord Stream 2 issue had already been discussed during the videoconferences of the advisors of the countries participating in the Normandy format.
According to the head of the President's Office, the continuation of gas transit through the territory of Ukraine is a very serious deterrent, in particular, to the large-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
"The President of Ukraine spoke about its risks and their likelihood yesterday. When about a hundred thousand Russian troops are concentrated near your borders, any reasonable person will see risks in this," Yermak said.
Taking into account these risks, including those of non-economic nature, the head of the Office of the Head of State expressed the hope that Ukraine's initiative to consider this issue at the meeting of the Normandy Four leaders will also be supported by other participants in the negotiation process.
Yermak also said that at the meeting of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and during the visit of the head of state to the United States, the Ukrainian side heard about concrete steps to be taken if Russia abuses the provisions of the Nord Stream 2 project.
"But we expect that all this will "be transcribed on paper," because there is an example of the Budapest Memorandum, and today, Ukraine is forced to believe not the words, but the real steps," the head of the President's Office said.