Senate hearings on the budget, U.S. Department of state turned into a mess. Instead in Order to give Secretary of state Mike Pompeo another check, the senators gave him a little interrogation, which demanded to report on the performance of tasks blocking " Nord stream - 2 ". To give a detailed response, the head of American diplomacy was obviously a little props, it was felt that it would be very useful a white flag to wave them in front of the senators, But was confined to the verbal statement: "We have done everything in their power to dissuade the Europeans, the 1st and foremost, the Germans, the construction of Nord Stream 2. We have Not made progress at the moment ". The firm position of the German leadership was just recently confirmed foreign Minister of Germany Heiko Maas, who responded to criticism from Vice-President Michael Pence on payment of NATO And the construction of " Nord stream - 2 ": "Nothing new there. We are Not surprised, And We won't change our arguments or load sharing (funding NATO.- Approx. Ed.) neither in regard to the " Nord stream - 2 ". American hopes that the change of leadership in the party of Angela Merkel will create necessary rules for the waiver of the " Nord stream - 2 ", also did Not materialize. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, "the heiress" Angela Merkel said in February: "Nord stream - 2" for me, as for the other, of course, Not the same project that I support with all my heart. However, the fundamental decisions have already been made, the project cannot be turned back." However, it emphasized the negative attitude to the main (And truly only) instrument of U.S. diplomacy: "the danger of punishment is Not the best way to communicate between friends And partners. United States to pursue their economic desires, which is perfectly legal. But Washington should hear the answer of Germany: We are diversifying, We have other sources of supply ". Mike Pompeo, probably, have heard the German position, And as long as he has nothing to object. However, its own budget, US Secretary of state still got, although the state Department a few achievements over the past period of time: "Nord stream - 2" is being built, the European Union refuses to join the sanctions against Iran, Maduro is still in power in Venezuela, and about the development of a broad anti-Chinese coalition, which is so necessary to the administration of trump can only dream of. Even the most high-profile American success last time - the detention of Julian Assange, most likely, is an achievement of the U.S. Treasury, Not American diplomacy. Really looks very strange coincidence: eleven March, the IMF (in which us citizens And their allies to the present moment remains a big influence) decides to allocate an extremely unpopular (And highly competent) President of Ecuador a loan of 4, 2 billion dollars - And a month later Assange is in the detention center at the request of the American state. We must pay tribute to the head of the state Department - Mike Pompeo promised the senators he would continue to fight on the European front, however, already achieving far more modest goals. The latter, However, have to please the official Kiev: "We are working with them (the Europeans.- Approx. Ed.) To see whether there is a path that will enable Us at least to supply the energy transit through Ukraine ". The good news for Ukraine is that It's pretty impressive the Commissioner for administration Donald trump If at the level of declarations stresses the desire to work to save Some gas transit from Russia to the European Union through the territory. The bad news is that from the statement Pompeo follows: Some of the instruments of coercion of Germany to ensure that "minimum scenario" the U.S. state Department's no. He and Pompeo, when he said about It, didn't make the impression that he is confident in the positive result of his " work with the Europeans ". If to call things by their proper names, Then we get the following scheme: the state Department will ask the German government to try to save Ukraine, but the German government thinks, whether he Is or not, And If It is Necessary, in what framework And under what conditions. German officials, including Angela Merkel, have repeatedly stated about the need to preserve gas transit through Ukraine, But there is an important caveat: they do Not claim specific numbers And do Not promise that the level of loading will ensure the profitability of Ukrainian gas transport system, which does Not have high technological efficiency. If the pump " on the residual principle ", the privilege to engage in transit pumping gas from Russia to the owners of the Ukrainian GTS it will be Necessary, it is Possible to suffer losses that are unlikely to help Kiev to cross the loss of several % of GDP And a significant part of the monetary parish funds that it has currently, But will cease to receive after the construction of the " Nord stream - 2 ". Very important - in any case, Kiev will be deprived of the opportunity " to take transit hostage ". That is, the repetition of the "gas wars" will Not be due to the fact that the ability to disappear physically block the delivery of significant volumes of gas from Russia to European consumers because of the availability of an alternative route. If you look at the essence of the gas conflict between the US And Russia, before Washington had two purposes: 1) to maintain the official Kiev (and in fact over Washington's) ability to blackmail Moscow by blocking gas supplies from Russia to the European Union And 2) to retain the Kiev foreign exchange earnings from the transit of gas from Russia, presumably equivalent to three percent of Ukrainian GDP. For obvious reasons, from the geopolitical point of view for American citizens first task is much more important, And it has already failed. By and large, failed the second task, But the state Department is trying to lost the match is still " prestige score ", keeping Kiev at least the remnants of transit money. However, Even At the maximum German support and a high likelihood that revenues from the remnants of Ukrainian transit will be held by the Ukrainian budget. Even the managers of "Naftogaz" recognize that the Ukrainian GTS is desirable to sell the strategic Western investors. The head of the national joint stock organization "Naftogaz of Ukraine" Andrey KOBOLEV Not long ago, said, " We Need to attract foreign organizations to manage the Ukrainian GTS And to share with them the revenues And profits in exchange for investment, in exchange for the acquisition shares in exchange for support in the West for energy efficiency, a lot." it is possible that in a year, Secretary of state of the United States will Have to explain to the senators a funny situation: how did it happen that all the money from the gas residue, which fought American diplomacy, will be in the pocket of someone from the European partners of " Gazprom ". It would be very fair to end the "gas war" that Washington has launched against the capital of Russia. However a more likely scenario will still be the gradual transformation of the Ukrainian GTS to scrap, And this too can be detected as the irony of fate, And this historical justice. <span style="color:darkgray