Negotiations Between Russia and the U.S. to Revive Nord Stream Gas Supply to Europe, Says Lavrov

Moscow and Washington are currently in talks regarding the potential resumption of gas supplies to Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline, as stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during an interview with Russia’s state Channel One on Wednesday.

«There are, of course, some disagreements at this time. However, isn’t it beneficial for both Russia and the United States to restore a stable energy supply to Europe? The situation with the Nord Stream pipelines is being reviewed,» Lavrov remarked.

«It would be quite intriguing if the Americans were to leverage their influence over Europe to ensure that it does not dismiss Russian gas. That would indeed seem surreal,» he added.

Lavrov noted that «the costs of fuel for Europe and its industries are several times higher than for U.S. companies.»

In light of a colder winter leading to an excess consumption of 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas, Europe now faces the prospect of a new gas crisis, with EU gas storage levels dropping to a three-year low of 35%.

Furthermore, Ukraine ceased the transit of Russian gas to Europe on January 1, which further reduced gas availability by 10 bcm.

This gas could potentially be sourced elsewhere, and it is suggested that the remaining segment of the Nord Stream pipeline could be activated almost immediately, supplying 25 bcm to Germany to help fill the gap.

To address the anticipated shortage, the EU recently proposed relaxing its regulations that require gas reserves to be 90% full by November 1, in order to avert a rise in gas prices over the summer.

The impending energy crisis has sparked discussions about the possibility of limited Russian gas supplies being resumed via the pipeline in recent months. One idea is to use the restart of pipeline deliveries as leverage in the ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

Nonetheless, many European officials remain firmly against the idea of purchasing Russian energy.

«However, figures such as [German Vice Chancellor] Robert Habeck, [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen, and [German Defense Minister] Boris Pistorius all insist that they would never permit the revival of Nord Stream. These individuals are either not in their right minds or are taking reckless risks,» Lavrov commented.

Despite Europe’s effective prohibition on Russian gas purchases, imports increased by 14% last year, with approximately 35 bcm flowing to Europe via the southern TurkStream pipeline and an additional 48 bcm arriving in the form of LNG. Collectively, Russia still supplies about 15% of the EU’s gas imports.

«It will be fascinating to see if the Americans utilize their leverage to persuade Europe not to turn away from Russian gas,» Lavrov concluded.

Following the recent discussions on a new Black Sea grain deal, the United States indicated its readiness to lift certain sanctions as part of negotiations with the Kremlin.

This article originally appeared in bne IntelliNews.