Talks with Russia must prioritize Nord Stream 2 to deter Putin, Ukraine’s Naftogaz CEO says

His comments come shortly after a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on Wednesday. It was the second high-level meeting this week between Western officials and Russia after high-profile talks between the U.S. and Kremlin officials on Monday. A further meeting is taking place at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna Thursday. Talks are taking to try to defuse a crisis triggered by the mass gathering of Russian troops near Ukraine, although the way forward remains unclear, and Moscow has warned the situation is “very dangerous.” Speaking to CNBC’s Hadley Gamble in Kyiv, Ukraine on Thursday, Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko said he had been surprised to see that Nord Stream 2 did not appear to be a central part of the discussions. “It is really difficult to understand how come it can be unnoticed or it bears no consequences? That is something that should come first, so first they should sanction Nord Stream 2. They should show again their firm stance to Putin,” Vitrenko said. “And, for example, if somebody wants to discuss some further actions if there is further aggression on the Russian side, they should be talking about Nord Stream 1. So, I’m not saying that Nord Stream 2 is the only thing that should be on the agenda, but it should come first just to show that the West is serious.” Vitrenko said a package of additional sanctions should then be prepared if Russia is to invade Ukraine.