Ukraine’s Naftogaz welcomes suspension of Nord Stream 2 certification

KYIV (Reuters) – The head of the Ukrainian energy firm Naftogaz said on Tuesday he welcomed the German energy regulator’s decision to suspend certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Ukraine opposes Nord Stream 2, which will pump Russian gas to Germany, accusing Moscow of using energy as a weapon against Europe. Moscow denies this. Ukraine has successfully applied to be part of the consultation process to certify the pipeline.

“Good,” Naftogaz head Yuriy Vitrenko told Reuters in a message when asked about the German regulator’s move. “This is an important point, which suggests that the German regulator shares our position that certification cannot only apply to the pipeline in Germany, but should apply to the entire pipeline from the territory of the Russian Federation to the territory of Germany.”

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Edmund Blair)