After Canada’s concession Russia continues energy blackmail
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Even after Canada agreed to return the sanctioned natural gas turbine to Germany, Russia’s Gazprom announced it cannot guarantee Nord Stream-1 (NS-1) pipeline to Germany remains operational, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on July 13.
According to Gazprom, the company doesn’t have any documents which would confirm that the Siemens turbine could be transported to a key NS-1 Portovaya pumping station near Russia’s St. Petersburg. The turbine in question was sent to Canada for repairs prior to the war.
“Under these circumstances, it’s impossible to definitively conclude Portovaya could be safely kept in operation, as it’s a critical element of the Nord Stream-1 pipeline,” Gazprom said.
The statement came despite Canada eventually budging to Berlin’s pressure and promising to ship the turbine to Germany.
Canadian media later reported that Canada also made an exception for six further such turbines, which now can be repaired in Canada in the next two years, bypassing existing Russian sanctions.
Russia suspended NS-1 operations for maintenance on July 11; the pipeline is expected to be back online by July 21. EU officials are privately expressing their fears that NS-1 could be stopped for good, as Moscow attempts to blackmail Europe by cutting natural gas supplies.
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