/ world today news/ The authoritative agency “Reuters” comes out with an analysis of the situation around “South Stream”. She argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to announce the end of the pipeline was a foregone conclusion because his country was pressured to do so.
The European Union’s diplomatic victory, which forced the Kremlin to halt the South Stream gas pipeline project, also creates headaches for Brussels – how to find an alternative source of gas supplies to South-Eastern Europe. This was commented by the “Reuters” agency on the occasion of the suspension of the project, announced by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
Although recently made politically inconvenient by the crisis in Ukraine, the pipeline would be useful for countries such as Serbia, Bulgaria and Hungary, as it offers gas supplies bypassing Ukraine’s territory, reducing the risk of disruption.
There have been other ideas that offer Southeast Europe these secure alternative supplies, but so far none have been at such an advanced stage of development as South Stream, Reuters commented. The pipeline would transport Russian gas along the bottom of the Black Sea and reach Bulgaria, then pass through the territory of Serbia and Hungary to reach Austria.
On Monday, Russia announced it was abandoning the project. Here is how “Reuters” commented on the situation:
It fell victim to weak demand in Europe and falling gas prices, but also to the objections of the European Commission, which forced Bulgaria to freeze construction amid the confrontation with Russia over Ukraine.
We recall that earlier today, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev stated that Bulgaria now expects “special attention” from the EU to mitigate the damage, and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will highlight this point of view during his visit to Brussels next week.
“If there is no project, it is a loss for Bulgaria,” Donchev also told reporters. “Bulgaria cannot be a bargaining chip in this complex geopolitical situation. She cannot be placed in such a role”, said the Deputy Prime Minister.
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