The secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, has suggested that the West is demonstrating a policy of double standards in relation to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
He was speaking at the 9thNational Expert Forum organized by the Gorshenin Institute in Kyiv. It is being broadcast live by LB.ua.
"More and more [Western] politicians are saying that their countries are tired of sanctions and offer to abolish them. That is, Ukraine is not tired of the blood and pain it experiences every day, while our partners are tired of sanctions that are in fact a defence for that same Europe," he said.
According to Turchynov, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project is a clear example of double standards in Europe.
"On the one hand, they formally talk about the extension of sanctions, but on the other hand they facilitate the implementation of Russian economic strategic interests that level all the developments of the past four years," Turchynov said.
He suggested that in these conditions, Ukraine has no other choice but to rely on its own capacities.