The European Commission has begun discussing sanctions against Nord Stream 2.

The European Commission is close to including the failed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in a new sanctions package. The EU executive body will begin discussions on this as early as Friday, May 23, Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources.

Germany supports this plan . The agency's sources said the decision on sanctions will be made "taking into account the latest developments related to the negotiations on Ukraine."

Bloomberg notes that the sanctions will "give weight" to the EU's position on its reluctance to purchase Russian gas, and will also protect Berlin from "any potential pressure from the US or Russia."

Russia considers the sanctions illegal and demands that they be lifted.

At the beginning of MayREUTERS reported that Russia and the United States discussed the possibility of American investors acquiring stakes in the Nord Stream project or the pipeline running through Ukraine. The Financial Times reported that Matthias Warnig, former executive DIRECTOR of the project operator, is developing a project to restart Nord Stream 2.

The project has been under US sanctions since 2021. In late April, Politico reported that Washington was discussing lifting sanctions on Nord Stream 2 and other Russian projects in Europe, with US Presidential Envoy Steve Cohen, among others, advocating for this.Witkoff .

On September 26, 2022, explosions occurred on two Russian gas EXPORT pipelines to Europe—Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2. The former was halted for repairs at the time, while the latter was never put into operation. As a result, three of the four pipelines were damaged.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) classified the incident as an act of international terrorism. Initially, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark were involved in the investigation, but the latter two countries dropped it in February 2024. Russia was not allowed to participate in the proceedings.