After all, it would be much cheaper to expand existing land pipelines than to build undersea. Moreover, Russia’s ability to meet future gas demand from commercially viable reserves suggests that Nord Stream could be used to cut off gas sales to unfavored clients.
那些有充足理由去恐惧俄罗斯停供天然气的国家都为此大声呼吁，认为兴建北溪管道的政治目的远大于经济需要。毕竟扩展现有陆上管网的成本将比铺设海底管线便宜得多。此外俄罗斯足以满足未来需求的天然气商业开采储量也意味着北溪管道可以被用来切段对那些“不讨俄罗斯喜欢”的国家的供应。