Germany reveals its plans for Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Photo: Part of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline (Getty Images)
Germany received proposals from the US to restart Nord Stream 2 to restore Russian gas supplies to Europe. However, the country has no intention of taking this step, according to the German federal government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry by deputies of the Alternative for Germany party.
Nord Stream 2 will not operate
The German federal government emphasized that the launch of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is currently not under consideration.
"The question of putting Nord Stream 2 into operation is not on the agenda for the federal government. Furthermore, the certification procedure for Nord Stream 2 remains suspended," the document states.
The government recalled that after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia began gradually restricting natural gas supplies to Germany. Supplies were completely halted even before the sabotage of the pipelines in September 2022.
These actions are viewed in Germany as evidence of Russia's unreliability as an energy supplier.
EU actions
The EU has imposed extensive sanctions on the Russian energy sector due to its aggression against Ukraine. Under the REPowerEU strategy, the European Union has embarked on a course to gradually end its energy dependence on Russia. The federal government fully supports these measures.
US proposals
Discussions about restarting Nord Stream followed a series of reports about negotiations between Washington and the Kremlin. In February, representatives of Russia and the US allegedly held secret talks on restoring the pipeline's operation in cooperation with the American side.
In October, sources reported that adviser to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner discussed the possibility of involving an American investor in the project.
The administration of US President Donald Trump proposed that Ukraine resume the transit of Russian gas to Europe as part of a peace agreement. European officials reacted sharply negatively to this idea.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline was also mentioned in US-Russia talks. One source described its restart in the event of a peace agreement as the simplest step.
Furthermore, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was aware of the plan to sabotage the Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines at an early stage of its preparation.
