Last night, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany wants Ukraine to remain a transit country for Russian gas to the EU.

“We guarantee that Ukraine will maintain its status as a gas transit country, even if construction of Nord Stream 2 is completed,” Merkel said in Berlin at a joint press conference with President Zelenskiy. “I fully understand Ukraine’s fears,” she said, adding that the Russia-Germany Baltic Sea gas line will be a topic of her talks on Thursday in Washington with President Biden. After 16 years in office, Merkel plans to step down after Germany’s September 26 Bundestag elections. At this stage of early polling of voters, it is not clear who her successor will be.