The EU is close to restricting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in a new round of sanctions as Russia refuses a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported.
Washington's participation in a potential sanctions package would be "very central," German government spokesperson Stefan Cornelius said.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for their fourth meeting on April 25, has reportedly promoted the idea. It has "not found much traction in the White House," and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has opposed it, Politico reported.
"There is talk about Nord Stream. It will probably be interesting if the Americans use their influence on Europe and force it not to give up Russian gas," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Matthias Warnig, who led Nord Stream 2’s parent company on behalf of Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom until 2023, is reportedly trying to establish contact with U.S. President Donald Trump's team through American businessmen.
"We’re going to continue to work and ensure that Russia is never able to weaponize its energy resources and its energy positioning for political gain again," U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
Trump has repeatedly backed and praised Putin and rarely criticized him. He described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "genius" and "savvy" in 2022.
Talking to the propagandist sanctioned by Western countries, the prime minister of a NATO and EU member country discussed several topics, including the Nord Stream pipeline explosions and the supposed Western fatigue over the support of Ukraine.
Two years after a series of explosions tore apart Russia’s controversial Nord Stream pipelines, the investigation has largely remained a mystery full of accusations that have exposed political fault lines across Europe. Stretching from northwestern Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany’s coast, the pipelines completed before Russia’
While Russia's deadly war rages on Ukraine's soil, one unexpected aspect of the invasion is that natural gas continues to flow through Ukraine from Russia, with both sides profiting from the deal and – to an extent – financing each other's war machines. That is expected to change when their deal expires
Czech President Petr Pavel said that he had no verified information on whether Kyiv was involved in the operation to blow up the gas pipelines.
Poland has come under particular scrutiny in recent days over the act of sabotage which is still being investigated, with a former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, BND, earlier this week claiming it could not have been carried out without Warsaw's support.
"Such an act can only be carried out with extensive technical and financial resources ... and who possessed all this at the time of the bombing? Only Russia," Mykhailo Podolyak said in a written comment for Reuters, reiterating Ukraine's position.
The man, a diving instructor introduced simply as Volodymyr Z., was last seen in a Polish town west of Warsaw, but his current whereabouts are unknown, the investigation by ARD, Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), and Die Zeit said.
Russia blamed the U.S. and U.K. for blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines connecting Russia and Germany in September 2022. Investigations have so far failed to find conclusive evidence, and both Denmark and Sweden dropped the case in February 2024. The German investigation is still ongoing.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was aware of Russia's intention to reduce gas supply to blackmail Europe to speed up the Nord Stream 2 pipeline launch but concealed the information, German media outlet Handelsblatt reported on June 6, citing classified documents.
"The investigation has led the authorities to conclude that the sabotage of the pipelines was intentional. However, the assessment is that there is no sufficient basis to pursue a criminal case in Denmark," the Danish police said in a statement.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors. How can we say with confidence that Ukraine is fighting for Europe? Well, there is a simple thought experiment for you. Would Europe be safer if Ukraine’s bravest sons and daughters weren’t willing
The unprovoked war that Russia unleashed on Ukraine has far-reaching consequences. If he wins, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will be elevated to godhood. Russia’s false historic claims to entitlements will explode. Its global propaganda machine will spin arrogant superiority sans pareil to push Russia-style dictatorship even further on countries
Ukrainian bankers, analysts and economists have joined forces to develop a list of sanctions that have not yet been introduced, but could substantially hit Russia and force Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to retreat. Of course, these measures could hurt not only Russians, but also the economies of the collective West.
German economy minister Robert Habeck has ordered the country's energy regulator to halt the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in response to Russia's military escalation in eastern Ukraine, Spiegel reports. The decision comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized occupied Ukrainian territories in Donbas as independent
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russia was wielding its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as “a geopolitical weapon” to threaten energy security in Europe. He added that German relations with the controversial gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine have been a growing irritant for both Washington and Kyiv.
The operator of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline registered a subsidiary in Germany to bring the project closer to certification. The new company, registered in Schwerin, will own and operate the 54-kilometer section of the pipeline in German waters, as well as the landfall facility in Lubmin, according to a
Editor’s Note: This op-ed was published by Atlantic Council. It is republished here with permission. Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved to escalate tensions with Ukraine in recent months by putting a huge and unprecedented Russian military force on its borders while launching a concerted “coercive” diplomatic effort sketching
A new bill that's about to be introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives advocates for the U.S. to increase military funding to Ukraine and implement strict measures against Russia immediately, according to Politico. The bill, titled "Guaranteeing Ukrainian Autonomy by Reinforcing its Defense Act" (GUARD), is signed
Ukraine's state-owned gas company Naftogaz has appealed to the European Commission to take action against its Russian counterpart Gazprom’s alleged monopoly on the European gas market, highlighting the company’s manipulation of natural gas supply during the current European energy crisis. In a press release published on the Naftogaz
Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have reached an agreement to confirm more than 36 nominees for ambassadorships and senior positions in exchange for a vote on renewed sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 project. According to American publication Politico, the deal struck on
Nord Stream 2, an $11 billion undersea gas pipeline meant to connect Russia’s rich gas fields with fuel-hungry European energy markets, has found itself at the center of a conflict between the West and Russia. A great deal of Russian gas had to go overland, through Ukraine, to reach
Ukraine's Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov claimed in a Dec. 12 interview with the Financial Times that Germany had vetoed Ukraine's purchase of anti-drone and anti-sniper equipment via NATO's Support and Procurement Agency. According to Reznikov, who was appointed to his position in November, the veto was made "in the
U.S. President Joe Biden is trying to quash defense bill amendments that would impose strong sanctions on companies involved in Nord Stream 2 and limit his ability to waive them, according to a Nov. 24 article by Foreign Policy magazine. Five Republican senators introduced the amendments, which some Democrats
German Green Party co-leader Annalena Baerbock, who is a vocal opponent of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, will become her country’s foreign minister, according to a coalition deal finalized on Nov. 24. The coalition government, which is composed of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Green Party
Germany’s energy regulator announced on Nov. 16 that it had temporarily suspended the pipeline’s certification process, which would allow it to start operating when approved. The regulator said that Russian gas monopoly Gazprom had not yet set up an operating subsidiary that complied with German law. Following the
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