OREANDA-NEWS. US authorities want to keep Ukraine under “external control”, but so that Russia pays for it, the Russian president said in an interview with Russian media for the special project “20 Questions to Vladimir Putin”. It's this desire, according to Putin, that explains the actions of the United States aimed at preventing the completion of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.

“That is, they are courting Ukraine and taking it under external control, but they want Ukraine to exist, including for our money. They themselves don't want to give them money. At the expense of transit money, so that Ukraine receives at least something from us”, Putin said.

“Okay, we agree”, the president added. According to him, gas consumption in Europe is growing, and therefore Russia will continue to carry out its transit deliveries through Ukraine, although to a lesser extent. Putin recalled that a corresponding treaty with Ukraine has already been signed, which means US sanctions imposed against Nord Stream-2 should be lifted.