Canada decides to return Russian gas pipeline turbines to Germany

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Canada decided Saturday to return to Germany turbines needed to maintain the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, with Russia waiting on the machine's arrival before increasing supplies.

Ukraine had urged Canada not to return the turbines as it seeks to keep up international pressure on Russia while Germany is seeking to bolster energy supplies.

Kiev has accused Berlin of giving in to Russian "blackmail" after Moscow blamed reduced supplies on the need for repairs.

The turbines are currently undergoing maintenance at a Canadian site owned by German industrial giant Siemens. 

Canada grants permit for the return of turbines

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson indicated that "Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nordstream 1 turbines to Germany, supporting Europe’s ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas."

"Absent a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant hardship and Germans themselves will be at risk of being unable to heat their homes as winter approaches," Wilkinson warned in a statement. 

The Canadian minister also claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to "sow division" among western allies.

Berlin in contact with Ottawa to ensure turbine's transfer

Russian energy company Gazprom last month blamed the issue for a reduction in supplies to Germany via the controversial pipeline, with Berlin facing a serious energy crisis.

Berlin says it has been in regular contact with Ottawa in recent weeks in order to ensure the turbine's swift transfer back to Europe without Canada violating anti-Russian sanctions.

The German Finance Ministry indicated that "if it makes taking the decision easier for the Canadians in the legal sense," Germany could propose that Ottawa send Berlin the machinery rather than to Gazprom and Russia.

While not accepting maintenance issues as the reason for Russia cutting supplies, Germany says the return of the turbine would deprive Moscow of an excuse to keep supplies significantly below normal levels.

Ukraine urges Canada not to return turbine to Germany

But Ukraine said its own pipelines were capable of transporting a sufficient volume of gas to Germany to make up for the falloff in Russian supplies.

"We are asking Canada to not return the Gazprom turbine to Germany, but to Ukraine," Sergiy Makogon, the chief executive officer of Ukraine's gas transmission system OGTSU wrote on Facebook earlier this week. 

He insisted that "we must not submit to Kremlin blackmail." 

In a similar context, Canada announced on Saturday its intention to extend its economic sanctions against Russia to industrial manufacturing. 

"These new sanctions will apply to land and pipeline transport and the manufacturing of metals and of transport, computer, electronic and electrical equipment, as well as of machinery," Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly pointed out in a statement.