Completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline could drastically reduce the volume of natural gas that Russia ships to Europe via Ukraine to 10-15 Bern per year - a drop of nearly 90%, compared with 2017 volume of more than 93 Bcf, which produced $3 billion in transit fees for Ukraine.Gazprom leader Alexei Miller issued his projection after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Nord Stream 2 project could not proceed without clarity on Ukraine's role as a transit route for gas. Gazprom did not provide a timeframe for the reduction in volume."We have never raised an issue about abandoning the Ukrainian transit," Miller said in a statement, adding that Ukraine would have to "explain the viability of the new transit contract" for the lesser volume to continue.Ukraine has been a key route for carrying Russian gas to Europe where it supplies around a third of gas needs, but Moscow and Kiev have clashed frequently over energy. Gazprom's total exports to Europe and Turkey reached an all-time high of 194 Bern last year. It plans to bypass Ukraine with shipments to Europe via the TurkStream pipeline to Turkey, now under construction, and Nord Stream 2 to Germany.
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