MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. The joint resumption of Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines by Russia and the United States is logical and could become part of initiatives on the economic track, Maria Belova, director of research at the consulting company Implementa, told TASS, noting, however, that several obstacles remain for its implementation.
Earlier, the Berliner Zeitung newspaper reported, citing sources, that the US could presumably play a key role in the potential restart of the Nord Stream pipeline. Washington may start supplying Russian gas to Europe, aiming to expand the United States’ control over the region’s energy infrastructure, according to sources.
"Perhaps the issue of Nord Stream [pipelines] is considered within the set of joint initiatives on the economic track. And there is a certain logic here. The US covers 20% of Europe’s gas needs using its LNG now. Russian pipeline gas is economically more attractive to buyers in this region, so controlling this flow, in the event of its resumption, will enable the US to maintain its position in the EU gas market," the expert said. The deal may also prove advantageous for Russia because it would allow partial recovery of supply volumes in the western direction, consequently boosting production and enabling repayment of infrastructure investments, she noted.
That said, this hypothetical scenario faces technical, political, and legal obstacles, Belova said. Three of the four Nord Stream pipeline lines were damaged about 3.5 years ago, and it will take time, specialized equipment, and investments to restore them, while starting supplies would require lifting US and European sanctions on the projects’ operators. Moreover, Nord Stream 2 has never received commissioning permission from the German regulator and has not completed its certification process.
"Regarding legal risks, the situation with gas ownership rights is unclear. Earlier, Gazprom’s partners in Europe filed lawsuits over the lack of supplies of necessary gas volumes. Despite our company’s force majeure claims, arbitration courts have not always sided with it. Therefore, gas supplied to Europe, if it is legally Russian, could be seized in exchange for payment of fines," she stressed.
"The issue of the terms of the transaction remains open. But if concluded, it will be interesting to observe the behavior of the European Commission, which less than a month ago finally approved the terms for the phaseout of Russian pipeline gas (September 30, 2027)," the expert concluded.
On September 26, 2022, an unprecedented terrorist attack was carried out on Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. As a result, only one string of the latter pipeline remained intact. The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation initiated a case on an act of international terrorism.