Ex-Naftogaz supervisory board member appointed US special envoy

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appointed Amos
Hochstein as Senior Advisor on energy issues on Aug. 10. “His immediate focus
will be the implementation of measures to reduce the risks posed by the Nord
Stream 2 pipeline,” Blinken stated in a release on state.gov. Germany has also
appointed an envoy focused on these measures as his counterpart, axios.com
reported on Aug. 9.

Hochstein is a former Naftogaz supervisory board
member. He resigned from the position in Oct. 2020, citing a declining reform
environment at the company. He is also known to be an opponent of Nord Stream
II and a Russia hawk, axios.com reported.

James Hydzik: Hochstein’s appointment indicates that the agreement made between
Biden and Merkel over the completion of the pipeline could have consequences
for the future. It’s an important step, as there was no clarity previously
regarding whether the Biden Administration was simply giving up on the Nord
Stream II matter completely. Hochstein’s knowledge on the matter will help
greatly. However, the question now becomes one of whether anything effective
can come from his appointment and efforts.