Germany has no intention of bringing Russian gas to the country via the remaining branch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline (Northern Flow 2), a representative of the German Ministry of Economics told a government press conference.
"There was no discussion on this issue," she said, answering a press question about the possibility of reopening the Nord Stream 2 pipeline branch.
A representative of the German Ministry of Economy stressed that the country's officials see no reason to return to using Russian gas.
On March 4, Bild newspaper quoted a source as saying that the German cabinet is reviewing options to prevent the operation of Nord Stream 2 in the event that Russia and the US reach a gas deal.
Bild said that secret negotiations on the possibility of resuming Russian gas supplies to Germany have been taking place in Switzerland for several weeks. Nord Stream 2 was the focus of the talks.
US presidential special missionary Richard Grenell has made several informal trips to Switzerland to discuss the deal. The headquarters of the Nord Stream 2 operator, Nord Stream 2 AG, is located in Steinhausen (bang Zug, Switzerland). According to Bild, the trips of special border agent Grenell were related to a gas deal between the US and Russia.
On March 14, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Reuters that Russia does not expect a quick solution to the problem of resuming Russian gas exports to Europe via Nord Stream.
Meanwhile, energy expert Hennadii Riabtsev shared on Espresso TV that he does not see any benefits from the US in restarting the gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany.
I dont see any benefits for the US in launching or restarting Nord Stream, whether its Bloomberg, Lynches, or any other investor, he said.
For decades, the US has increased gas production for export, according to the energy expert. In recent years, the US has built port warehouses on the Atlantic coast to liquefy gas.
Mr. Hennadii Riabtsev emphasized that during that time, the US has provided financial support and stimulus to build related port warehouses on the European coast so that more European countries can receive US gas.
"But now it seems that someone is preparing to resume the supply of Russian gas, at least a third cheaper, for the European market. And I have a question: Who will pay for what the US gas community has built? Who will compensate US mining, transportation, logistics and other technology companies for the lost profits when Russian gas supplies are resumed? the energy expert noted.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline was completed on September 10, 2021. The gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea consists of two parallel branches, with a capacity of 55 billion m3 per year.
On March 26, 2022, the sabotage was recorded in 3 out of 4 branches of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. Only one branch of Nord Stream 2 remains intact.
It is not yet possible to determine the time frame for restoring the viability of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
