German government: Nord Stream not to be relaunched

This was stated at a press conference on Monday by the deputy spokesman for the German government, Sebastian Hille, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“You know our position on the issue: the federal government clearly assumes that Nord Stream will not be put into operation,” the spokesman said, adding that such a short answer indicates the government’s attitude to the issue.

The statement came amid reports that the debt of the gas pipe operator, Nord Stream 2 AG (a subsidiary of the Russian monopolist Gazprom), to creditors was allegedly repaid by American businessman Stephen Lynch. This step, some suggest, could allow the pipeline to be formally removed from Russian influence and used to supply gas to Europe. As per media reports, Lynch arrived in Berlin for negotiations in this regard.

It should be noted that the government cannot influence the decisions of private companies.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Financial Times previously wrote that former Stasi spy and close friend of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Matthias Warnig, is developing a project to restart the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe with the support of American investors.

After that, the German government said it was surprised to see media reports about the possible restart of Nord Stream 2 with the participation of American investors, as it is "not certified and therefore cannot be used at all."

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also called on certain representatives from Germany and other countries who advocate the restoration of the Nord Stream gas pipeline not to expose their compatriots and Europe in general to the risks associated with the Russian geopolitical project.

The 1,234 km long Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which consists of two branches, was laid down despite numerous protests from Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic States to increase the volume of Russian gas flow to Europe via Germany. However, it was never certified due to the introduction of U.S. sanctions.

On September 26, 2022, large-scale accidents occurred on the Russian Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. Both strands of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and one of the two strands of the Nord Stream 2 pipe were damaged.