OREANDA-NEWS. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline "objectively weakens the position" of Kiev in negotiations on gas supplies from Russia, which remains indispensable for supplying Europe with this energy resource. It is reported by RIA Novosti.

Speaking at a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, dedicated to the aggravation of the situation on the border between Russia and Ukraine, the minister stressed that this tension is reflected in the energy dynamics, an important center of which is in Ukraine.

“The European Union and the UK import about 40% of their gas from Russia, but Moscow is also heavily dependent on energy export revenues and the EU is its best market. Nord Stream 2 offers Germany an alternative route, but still connected with Russian supplies. The gas pipeline, the licensing procedures of which are currently suspended, objectively weakens the position of Kiev in terms of the agreement on the supply and transit of Russian gas, which expires in 2024,” Di Maio said.

Earlier, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that Nord Stream 2 could help get out of the crisis in relations with Russia.