Eeuu-russia agreement? The chances of Washington Buy the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline

Is the United States interested in the purchase of Nord Stream 2 gase pipeline? Will there be deal With Russia? Those are the questions that plan in the air after the conversations he has allegedly held in Switzerland, headquarters of Nord Stream, Richard Grenell, ex American ambassador to Germany and “special sent” by Donald Trump for cases of relevance.

The information, advanced by the newspaper Bildit has been denied By Grenelll and the same has done Matthias WarnigPutin’s trusted man, former spy like him and director of Nord Stream for a long time, in a publication of the Financial Timesaccording to which Moscow is promoting the reactivation of the gas pipeline.

The circumstances speak. The company Nord Stream 2, 100% property of the Russian Gazprom, is on the verge of bankruptcysince the Gas never flowed through the investment was multimillionaire. Last December, Nord Stream requested a postponement of payment to creditors before the complex geopolitical situation and the inauguration of Donald Trump. The Cantonal Court of Zug set a final extraordinary postpone until May 9 and the Supreme Court Helvetica linked the decision to the payment of small creditors within 60 days. Failing that, says the sentence, Bankruptcy will be formally declared and the gas pipeline will go to auction.

During his first mandate, Trump was very critical of Nord Stream 2 and used the gas pipeline as a symbol of Germany’s dependence – and, therefore, of Europe – of Russia’s gas, which would have indirectly contributed to the financing of the Russian army. However, now some members of his team see him as a Strategic pressure tool that could be used in Ukraine Peace Conversationsaccording to sources close to the US administration.

Because, with accounts frozen by sanctions, Nord Stream is with water around the neck, a perfect situation to do business. A year ago, the American investor Stephen P. Lynch He contacted the US Foreign Assets Control Office (OFAC) as a potential buyer of the gas pipeline that crosses the Baltic Sea. In his application, Lynch claimed that his objective was to “deduce” the gas pipeline. If it ended up being the property of an American citizen, it would be a “significant victory” for US security policy. It is unknown what has been of the application.

But people who know closely the fate of the pipeline expect this type of resolution, as part of the Approach between the United States and Russiaand the lifting of mutual sanctions. Trump could also take a 180 degree turn in this matter. What is clear is that the gas pipeline, which cost 10,000 million euros, retains its strategic importance and would be cheap after bankruptcy.

The German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit recalled in the midst of so many rumors that The pipeline is not certified According to German legislation, since the process was paralyzed, and that there is no interest in buying Russian gas again. But opinions change as legislatures and Russia will never abandon the continent.

The Nord Stream 2 had to double the transport capacity through the Baltic Sea. 55,000 million cubic meters of gas would be supposed to transport from the Western Siberia deposits to Europe. This is equivalent to about two thirds of German gas consumption.

But in September 2022, an attack with explosives damaged one of the two tubes. The neighboring line Nord Stream 1 was completely unused. Whoever made with the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline auction would have to repair the damaged tube first. Gazprom, in fact, continues to believe in the future of the pipeline when the geopolitical situation has calmed down and, according to the Swiss newspaper Central Plusthe company has budgeted 633 million euros for repairs.

Gazprom expects the pipeline to have a useful life of 50 years from 2030. But this is only possible with a valid certification and, in this sense, Germany and the riverside countries of the Baltic Sea have something to say, since Nord Stream 2 crosses several external economic zones. The will to cooperate again with Russia in energy matters is, at the moment, almost nil. But if the pipeline passes to the US Russian gas would become American gas. Russia and the US would earn money and Europe would have cheap and “derupted” gas again.