EU Throws Cold Water on Restart of Russia's Baltic Sea Gas Pipelines

Pushing back on reported White House planning for Russian energy cooperation, the European Commission has made clear that it does not see a future for the disused Nord Stream gas pipeline system.

If restarted, Nord Stream would flood Northern Europe with inexpensive Russian natural gas, undercutting European demand for American LNG - a plan reportedly under discussion between a Russian representative and U.S. Special Envoy Jared Kushner. But Europe wants no part of the U.S.-Russian plan to reintroduce Russian fuel into Europe, a spokesperson for the Commission said Wednesday.

"We know far too well the hidden costs of being dependent on Russia for the purchase of fossil fuels. They have been weaponized and we have been paying the price, so we do not forget that," European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho told Euronews. Pinho noted EC President Ursula von der Leyen's position: to maintain sanctions on Russian energy until Moscow ends the war in Ukraine.

Even the end of the war wouldn't bring Russian gas back to Europe, at least not automatically. The EU has enacted legislation to ban all pipeline imports of Russian gas by September 2027, whether or not sanctions are still in place, EC spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told Euronews.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →