BRUSSELS — Washington and Moscow are in talks to revive the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday, as the Kremlin vies to regain a foothold in Europe amid the prospect of a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The Nord Stream pipelines, which previously carried gas from Russia to Germany via pipelines under the Baltic Sea, were blown up in an apparent act of sabotage in late 2022.
“There is talk about the Nord Streams,” Lavrov told the Russian state-controlled Channel One TV station Wednesday. “It will probably be interesting if the Americans use their influence on Europe and force it not to refuse Russian gas.”
Before its all-out invasion of Ukraine, Moscow provided 40 percent of the EU’s gas imports — allowing it to wield vast influence over the bloc’s energy supplies. Though the EU has since slashed that dependence by around two-thirds, the issue remains a sore point for Ukraine, since oil and gas purchases remain a key lifeline for Russia’s war machine.
Lavrov’s comments come after the Financial Times reported earlier this month that Moscow had enlisted a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin to restart gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream with the backing of American investors.
Lavrov confirmed there was “interest in restoring normal energy supply to Europe,” while acknowledging “people like … [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen … say that they will never allow the Nord Streams to be restored.” Those people, he added, “are either sick or suicidal.”
Reports have linked the mysterious undersea 2022 explosions to Ukrainian nationals, though the criminal case is ongoing. Moscow has denied involvement, and accused the U.S. and U.K. of being behind the blasts. Only one of the four pipelines, which together could theoretically cover 30 percent of the EU’s gas yearly demand, remains intact.
A European Commission spokesperson declined to comment. Last week, EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen insisted Brussels was not eyeing a return to Russian imports.
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