The US could thwart Europe's plans to get rid of dependence on Russian gas - NYT
Kyiv • UNN
Influential investor Stephen P. Lynch seeks to acquire a Russian pipeline. The White House is considering cooperation with the Kremlin on gas supplies to Europe, which is causing concern in Germany.
In the United States, influential investor Stephen P. Lynch, a major donor to the Republican Party, wants to buy a Russian pipeline to Germany. The White House is currently considering the idea of cooperating with the Kremlin on supplying Russian gas to Europe, UNN writes with reference to The New York Times.
Details
Investor Stephen P. Lynch turned to the Trump administration, which he believed would like to gain control of a key part of U.S. energy infrastructure. Now the Germans themselves wanted to hear about Lynch's proposal to lead the takeover of the pipeline at the bottom of the Baltic Sea called Nord Stream 2, which has been much criticized.
Lynch noted that German officials were skeptical of the meeting, which took place on May 6 in Berlin. In particular, they grilled the businessman on how he was going to convince them to allow Russian gas to flow through a pipeline that was partially sabotaged in 2022. Lynch, for his part, expressed confidence that the Germans would eventually convince themselves of the benefits of re-purchasing cheap Russian gas.
Against the backdrop of the frenzied geopolitical clashes of recent months, triggered by Donald Trump's renewed ties with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, the future of Europe's energy supply has become a source of tension and vulnerability as the continent seeks to chart an independent course.
Leaders in Berlin and Brussels have maneuvered in recent weeks to rule out any possibility of new Russian gas imports, seeking to end decades of reliance on Russian gas that predated Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In those days, Europe's dependence on cheap Russian energy gave the Kremlin powerful leverage.
A spokesman for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this week that when President Trump meets with the new German Chancellor at the White House on Thursday, the German leader will again express his disagreement with the use of Nord Stream 2, should the issue arise.
When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, then-U.S. President Joseph Biden vowed that if Moscow invaded, "Nord Stream 2 will no longer exist." He imposed sanctions on the state-owned company that owned the pipeline, while Germany refused to allow the newly completed pipeline to begin operations. Following the invasion, European companies and governments sharply reduced their reliance on Russian gas in an effort to punish Moscow economically, although these efforts came at a cost.
Now, European officials are concerned that companies and politicians may be tempted again by cheap Russian energy, especially if hostilities in Ukraine cease and Moscow deepens its rapprochement with Washington.
Addition
Ukraine approved the introduction of a joint product for booking capacities of the new gas route - the Trans-Balkan corridor. The National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NKREKP) has simplified the conditions for gas transportation through this corridor.
