Recently, the US side was exposed for discussing with Russia the possibility of reopening the "North Stream" pipeline, which has drawn attention. In response, the European Commission stated on October 28 that even if the Russo-Ukrainian conflict ends, the "North Stream" pipeline will not be reopened.
According to reports, the ‘North Stream’ pipeline has been subject to sanctions in Europe. Since the explosion of ‘North Stream 1’ in 2022, it has been unable to operate. ‘North Stream 2’, on the other hand, has never received certification from the German government.
And on the day when the European Commission said no to the restart of the ‘North Stream’ pipeline, the benchmark price of natural gas in Europe reached over 100 euros per megawatt-hour for the first time in nearly four years.
European Union Energy Commissioner Daniele Skibba warned that Europe is facing another energy crisis and a difficult winter.
In Russia, some experts express dissatisfaction with the US's involvement in related issues, believing that the US is a competitor. Whether Gazprom can resume operations depends on Europe.
On September 29, 2022, local time, a gas leak occurred at sea in Sweden, causing bubbles to appear on the surface of the water. On that day, authorities reported that there was a fourth leak at the North Sea natural gas pipeline near the Swedish coast. Visual China
On October 28, Paula Pinho, the chief spokesperson of the European Commission, said: “We are well aware of the hidden costs involved in relying on Russia to supply fossil fuels.”
They have been weaponized, and we have been paying the price for this, so we will never forget." She added.
Pinió cited a statement by European Commission Chairperson von der Leyen last week, stating that sanctions against Russia's energy sector will continue until the end of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
When asked whether this approach also applies to post-conflict situations, the European Commission pointed out that EU member states have already passed regulations to gradually stop importing Russian gas by the end of 2027.
European Commission spokesperson Anna Katsiaite said, “This regulation has nothing to do with sanctions or any geopolitical events. Therefore, no matter what happens, we will gradually phase out Russian natural gas and liquefied natural gas from the European market. The delivery of the last batch of goods should be completed by the end of 2027.”
This statement directly addresses the recent discussions regarding the exposure between the United States and Russia.
According to a report in the Financial Times on the 27th, without direct involvement from Ukraine and Europe, the United States and Russia discussed a series of economic cooperation proposals, including the transportation of natural gas to Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline.
However, the US side emphasizes that the prerequisite for restoring US-Russian economic cooperation is the end of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
On October 8th, Reuters quoted five sources as saying that high-level American and Russian officials, including Trump's son-in-law Kushner, have discussed involving American investors in the "North Stream" pipeline project.
It is reported that Kushner has been trying to facilitate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. He believes that commercial cooperation is key to restoring peace. Once the conflict ends, such an agreement will allow American investors to benefit from the energy flows to Europe.
According to a report by Reuters on the 8th, Kirill Dmitriev, the special representative of the Russian president responsible for foreign investment and economic cooperation, and the president of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, met with Kudrin in Moscow and New York over the past few weeks. Two people familiar with the matter said that although it is unclear how in-depth discussions about the 'North Stream' pipeline were conducted during these meetings, the topic was still on the agenda.
But the White House official then indicated that there had been no discussions regarding "Bei Xi" pipeline in recent times.
A report in The New York Times on October 17 also stated that the Trump administration is considering encouraging Europe to resume purchasing Russian natural gas. It also suggests that Ukraine should restart the pipelines that transport Russian gas to Europe, as an economic incentive to persuade Russia to end the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
Sources familiar with the matter said that U.S. Special Envoy Wittkop and Kushner proposed this idea during their consultations with Ukrainian and European officials, including a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Kiev in September.
According to relevant officials, restoring Russian gas exports is one of the long-term plans being discussed by Kushner and Vitkovic.
Sources familiar with the negotiations indicated that some European and Ukrainian officials believe that the United States may seek to be directly involved in Russian natural gas exports, allowing American companies and even the U.S. government to profit from it.
One source familiar with the negotiations said that the Trump administration believes that reopening the Nord Stream pipeline would be a relatively easy goal if a peace agreement is reached.
The White House emphasized in its statement at that time that “North Stream” is not a topic discussed in the near term. Any arrangements related to this pipeline must be part of a comprehensive peace agreement, and should be coordinated closely with European partners.
Regarding the proposal to resume the supply of Russian gas to Europe, Ukraine also expressed opposition.
On October 24th, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Serhii Surkov said that the proposal is wrong and dangerous. "For Moscow, energy is a weapon, not a business. This lesson was learned at a heavy cost."
European diplomats have repeatedly stated clearly to the US that they oppose relaxing sanctions against Russia or reaching commercial agreements with Russia before the conflict ends. They emphasized that any decision that affects the interests of the EU must be approved by Europe.
Germany, as the terminal station of the 'North Stream' pipeline and the largest natural gas consumer in Europe, has a particularly crucial role.
The German government has been actively opposing the reopening of the Russian natural gas pipeline.
A European official who understands Germany's stance previously told the New York Times that the German government believes that Russian natural gas sold through intermediaries is no different from natural gas purchased directly from Russia, and therefore should not be included in peace negotiations.
