Reuters: EU approval of Russian pipeline would be a move against Ukraine

Approval of Russia's South Stream pipeline would send a message to Ukraine that the European Union is not ready to support its ambitions to lean toward the West and does not see it as a reliable gas transporter, the head of Slovakia's pipeline operator said.

The roughly $40 billion South Stream project is designed to carry over 60 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas each year across the Black Sea into southern Europe, bypassing Ukraine, which now collects fees for transporting gas through massive pipelines from its Russian border to Europe.

The European Union has so far blocked the project, citing competition rules. But Russia is working with several EU member states, such as Bulgaria and Austria, to comply with the EU rule that the pipeline provide access to other gas producers. 

"Potential support of South Stream, especially in its full scale, is not a positive support of our Russian partner, but in fact a completely hostile action against Ukraine," Eustream Chairman Tomas Marecek told Reuters.  MORE

"I do not understand how the EU could support this, especially now in the context of the current Ukrainian ambitions, needs and hopes."