Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline was to begin pumping Russian natural gas to Germany and its Fourth Reich EU this past summer. The newly built pipeline would have delivered natural gas to Europe by bypassing Ukraine. Ukraine stood to lose $billions in transfer fees because of Nord Stream 2.
Beginning in 2022 the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was to double the volume of natural gas exported directly to Germany via a network beneath the Baltic Sea, bypassing an existing route through Ukraine. Before the Ukraine Russia war began the EU got 41% of its gas from Russia.
The pipeline was completed in 2021. The BBC reported 10 September 2021:
The Russian energy company Gazprom says it has completed construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. … The loss of transit fees would hit Ukraine’s economy hard. … The Ukrainian presidency opposed Nord Stream 2“
Kyiv-based economist Aleksey Kushch
The termination of [gas] transit is not so much a blow to the economy, but a blow to [Ukrainian] political elites. That’s why we are witnessing this neurotic response of the authorities instead of a pragmatic search for ways to compensate for the losses
Another motive is Ukraine’s debt payments to the IMF. Ukraine had/has no money to pay its debt payments. It’s using the war to obtain $billions from Canada, US, the UK, and other states to pay its debt and bankroll its corrupt politicians. In 2022 Ukraine owed $142 million in debt payments to the IMF in February. In March, Ukraine owed $480 million. Total of $1.686 billion Ukraine must pay the IMF in 2022. The Ukraine government was banking on the IMF and foreign governments wiping its massive multi $billion debts off the books because of the war it and Germany provoked. No such luck. The IMF requires Ukraine to continue to make its debt payments during the war.
July 14 (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund expects Ukraine to continue to service its foreign debt, an IMF spokesman said on Thursday as speculation grows that Kyiv could default on its debt as its battle against Russia’s invasion rages on.
The very corrupt Ukrainian government is using the war Ukraine and Germany instigated to obtain $billions. The money Ukraine obtains from corrupt and traitorous (assists an enemy) foreign politicians like Chrystia Freeland and Joe Biden isn’t going to assist Ukraine’s civilians. $billions are being embezzled by Ukraine’s corrupt politicians for their own personal use. The Kyiv Post reported in 2021 that the corrupt Ukrainian government is responsible for making Ukraine a failed state.
“Corruption lies at the core of Ukraine’s poverty, lack of transparency, and dormant economic potential. Ukrainian state budget annually loses over $37 billion due to this curse of inefficiency.” Kyiv Post, March 11, 2021
