Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that Russia is prepared to resume natural gas supplies to Germany via the Nord Stream pipelines. He noted that one of the two lines of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline remains intact, and that gas could start flowing "tomorrow" as soon as the German government makes a political decision and "presses the button."
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin told the media, "I am not joking—once the button is pressed, the gas will start flowing. But this requires a decision from the German government." He also pointed out that the Nord Stream project remains under U.S. sanctions, and Germany would need to reach an agreement on lifting these restrictions.
Putin stated that Russia could supply up to 28 billion cubic meters of gas annually, "but we only need our German partners to give Gazprom a clear answer—do they want it or not. Otherwise, we will direct this gas to other markets, to other partners."
Background on the Explosion Incident
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were severely damaged by underwater explosions in September 2022, forcing Germany to urgently seek alternative energy supplies and leaving it still unable to fully recover from the ensuing energy shock. Russia has accused Ukraine of being behind the attack, but Kyiv has repeatedly denied any involvement.
During the forum, a senior member of the German far-right party Alternative for Germany met with Russian officials and publicly called for the Nord Stream pipelines to be restarted.
Sanction Hurdles and Responses
Russian Presidential Special Representative for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Dmitriev, stated that Europe has lost over 3 trillion U.S. dollars by abandoning Russian energy, and that rational forces within Germany understand the necessity of restoring Nord Stream supplies. He noted that the Nord Stream pipeline is technically repairable and that the Alternative for Germany's public discussion of the issue is an important signal.
Dmitriev claimed that the German public understands that energy prices in Germany have risen 30% to 40% due to the inability to access more predictable and cheaper Russian energy, which is leading to deindustrialization in Germany. Europe needs to examine its own interests and should not continue to harm itself on energy issues.
From the perspective of U.S. legislative developments, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently passed a bill planning to further expand sanctions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines to align them with relevant EU sanctions measures. This means that even if Germany intends to restart the pipeline, it would still face a complex political process of transatlantic coordination.
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