German government looking into ways to prevent Nord Stream 2 relaunch
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Germany is intent on finding measures to prevent the reestablishment of the gas pipeline, amid rumors that the US is negotiating a deal with Russia for that goal.
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Pipes at the landfall facilities of the 'Nord Stream 2' gas pipline are pictured in Lubmin, northern Germany, on February 15, 2022. (AP)
The German government is considering ways to block the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as negotiations between Russia and the United States make the revival of the pipeline a realistic possibility.
Intensive consultations are being held in Germany to identify measures to prevent the re-establishment of the Nord Stream 2 project, the Bild newspaper reported on Tuesday, following rumors that Russia and the US could strike a gas deal.
Previously, Bild reported that US Special Envoy Richard Grenell made unofficial trips to Switzerland to negotiate reviving Nord Stream, with the United States mediating Russian gas supply via Nord Stream 2 and plans to reconstruct the Nord Stream pipeline.
US investors back plan to activate Nord Stream 2
US investors are reportedly pushing to activate Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a potential bargaining tool in Ukraine peace talks, with former Nord Stream 2 executive Matthias Warnig facilitating the deal, The Financial Times reported on March 2, citing sources,
The never-used pipeline between Russia and Germany, backed by unidentified US investors, represents what the British publication describes as an unprecedented shift, reflecting the extent of President Donald Trump’s rapprochement with Moscow.
The rumored deal to reestablish the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would see the US acting as an intermediary for the transport of gas via the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, as well as the restoration of the Nord Stream pipeline to transport green hydrogen from Finland to, as reported by the Financial Times.
The report emphasizes that although the US government will not be directly involved in the deal, American investors plan to participate.
According to FT, Warnig’s proposal includes US businesspeople contacting the White House as part of behind-the-scenes efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine, with reports indicating that a US-led investor consortium has drafted a post-sanctions agreement with Gazprom, the owner of Nord Stream 2.
In September of 2022, the Nord Stream gas pipes were attacked by underwater explosives, which caused disastrous leakage, leaving a single string of Nord Stream 2 intact, which Germany refuses to use from fear of sanctions and political losses.
