FT reports: US might initiate Nord Stream 2
The dormant gas pipeline that connects Russia and Germany is allegedly being utilized as bargaining power in negotiations regarding peace in Ukraine. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The Financial Times has reported that a plan to activate Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline is gaining support from US investors. This pipeline, connecting Russia and Germany, has never been operational and may play a role in the ongoing Ukraine peace negotiations, according to the publication.
The initiative is being organized by Matthias Warnig, who previously served as executive director of the Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 operator. The FT indicated that unnamed US investors are backing this plan, describing it as a "once unthinkable move that shows the breadth of [US President] Donald Trump’s rapprochement with Moscow."
During his first term, Trump criticized Nord Stream 2 and imposed sanctions on it. He claimed in an October interview that his actions had effectively “killed” the project.
However, since the beginning of his second term, Trump has shifted his approach to US-Russia relations, aiming for closer political and economic connections with Moscow and hinting that Washington might “at some point” lift sanctions.
According to the FT, Warnig’s strategy includes US business leaders contacting the White House as part of behind-the-scenes efforts to facilitate peace in Ukraine. Some members of Trump's team reportedly view Nord Stream 2 as a potential bargaining chip in these negotiations.
A US-led consortium of investors has allegedly outlined a post-sanctions agreement with Gazprom, the owner of Nord Stream 2, with one senior US official stating that the investors would collect “money for nothing.”
Completed in 2021, Nord Stream 2 was designed to supplement the operational Nord Stream 1 but has remained unused due to concerns about the EU’s energy dependence on Russia. In September 2022, the pipelines were damaged by underwater explosions, resulting in significant leaks. While one segment of Nord Stream 2 is still intact and filled with gas, Germany has refused to activate it due to sanctions and political factors.
The Kremlin has consistently asserted that it can be a reliable energy supplier. In January, spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia was willing to resume gas deliveries to the EU if buyers were available.
In response to the heightened conflict in Ukraine in 2022, Brussels sought to reduce its energy dependence on Moscow, turning to more expensive LNG from the US. Nevertheless, EU countries continue to import both pipeline gas and LNG from Russia.
The FT noted in January that EU officials were exploring the possibility of reinstating Russian pipeline gas imports as part of a potential peace deal for Ukraine, with supporters suggesting that this could help lower energy costs in Europe and revitalize the continent's industrial sector.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview with The Economist, potential future German chancellor Friedrich Merz maintained that there would be no return to Russian gas “for the time being,” although he notably did not exclude the possibility altogether.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
The initiative is being organized by Matthias Warnig, who previously served as executive director of the Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 operator. The FT indicated that unnamed US investors are backing this plan, describing it as a "once unthinkable move that shows the breadth of [US President] Donald Trump’s rapprochement with Moscow."
During his first term, Trump criticized Nord Stream 2 and imposed sanctions on it. He claimed in an October interview that his actions had effectively “killed” the project.
However, since the beginning of his second term, Trump has shifted his approach to US-Russia relations, aiming for closer political and economic connections with Moscow and hinting that Washington might “at some point” lift sanctions.
According to the FT, Warnig’s strategy includes US business leaders contacting the White House as part of behind-the-scenes efforts to facilitate peace in Ukraine. Some members of Trump's team reportedly view Nord Stream 2 as a potential bargaining chip in these negotiations.
A US-led consortium of investors has allegedly outlined a post-sanctions agreement with Gazprom, the owner of Nord Stream 2, with one senior US official stating that the investors would collect “money for nothing.”
Completed in 2021, Nord Stream 2 was designed to supplement the operational Nord Stream 1 but has remained unused due to concerns about the EU’s energy dependence on Russia. In September 2022, the pipelines were damaged by underwater explosions, resulting in significant leaks. While one segment of Nord Stream 2 is still intact and filled with gas, Germany has refused to activate it due to sanctions and political factors.
The Kremlin has consistently asserted that it can be a reliable energy supplier. In January, spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia was willing to resume gas deliveries to the EU if buyers were available.
In response to the heightened conflict in Ukraine in 2022, Brussels sought to reduce its energy dependence on Moscow, turning to more expensive LNG from the US. Nevertheless, EU countries continue to import both pipeline gas and LNG from Russia.
The FT noted in January that EU officials were exploring the possibility of reinstating Russian pipeline gas imports as part of a potential peace deal for Ukraine, with supporters suggesting that this could help lower energy costs in Europe and revitalize the continent's industrial sector.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview with The Economist, potential future German chancellor Friedrich Merz maintained that there would be no return to Russian gas “for the time being,” although he notably did not exclude the possibility altogether.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
