Some closed-door talks are said to be taking place regarding the possibility of restoring the operation of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, in which the US may play a key role.
This information was published by European newspapers in the context of the controversy surrounding the 2022 Nord Stream sabotage explosion that has not yet closed.
German newspaper Berliner Zeitung quoted private sources as saying that the US may participate in the process of restoring the operation of the Nord Stream pipelines. According to the newspaper, Washington may even stand out to resume the supply of Russian gas to Europe, thereby expanding its influence on energy infrastructure in the region.
Sources from Berliner Zeitung said that negotiations are underway outside the sights of the public and the media. The negotiation content relates to a plan to restart the Baltic Sea underground pipeline system, which was paralyzed after the explosions in 2022.
Previously, the French newspaper Le Monde also mentioned "unofficial contacts" about the possibility of restoring Nord Stream. According to this newspaper, the exchanges took place without the participation of international institutions and were kept secret, described as a form of "behind-the-scenes diplomacy".
On September 26, 2022, three of the four branches of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines were seriously damaged by explosions under the Baltic Sea. The Russian Attorney General's Office then opened a criminal case, considering this an act of international terrorism. Among the total pipelines, only one branch of Nord Stream 2 was not destroyed.
The Nord Stream pipeline is 1,224km long, connecting from Vyborg (Russia) to Greifswald (Germany) across the Baltic Sea, with a capacity of 55 billion m3 of gas per year. The Nord Stream 2 project has a similar capacity, completed construction on September 10, 2021 but has never been put into operation.
Regarding the explosion, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov (period 2010-2014) in an interview with TASS news agency said that the US not only grasped the information but "probably organized and participated" in the bombing.
Mr. Azarov said that since the explosion, he has doubted the role of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as well as US leaders.
According to him, an operation on such a scale, which is certainly within the sights of NATO intelligence agencies, "cannot happen without US understanding.
Meanwhile, the German magazine Der Spiegel once reported that Ukrainian suspects had expected the CIA to fund the operation, but in the end the funding came from a Ukrainian private "sponsor".
According to Der Spiegel sources, this private donor spent about 300,000 USD to cover equipment costs, charter yachts and purchase explosives.
In that context, information about the possibility of restoring Nord Stream operations with the role of the US, if confirmed, could mark a new turning point in the energy situation in Europe - a region that has been deeply affected since the explosions in September 2022.
