Merz promised to "do everything" to block Nord Stream 2.

Germany will continue to increase pressure on Russia and will do everything possible to prevent the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from being commissioned, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an RBC correspondent reports.

"We're doing this to weaken Moscow's war machine. But we're also doing it to pave the way for negotiations. I speak on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany: we will do everything in our power to ensure that Nord Stream 2 cannot be put into operation," Merz said.

The Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany through territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.Finland , Sweden, and Denmark. The total capacity of the four pipeline lines is 110 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The pipeline was one of the main routes for Russian gas supplies to the European market. Following a sabotage attack in 2022, both pipelines are no longer operational.

Explosions occurred on two Russian gas EXPORT pipelines to Europe—Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2—on September 26, 2022. The former was shut down for repairs, while the latter was never put back into operation. As a result, three of the four pipelines were damaged. Nord Stream AG, the operator, reported unprecedented damage and refused to estimate the pipelines' restoration timeline.

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.

In November 2024, American investor Stephen Lynch announced his willingness to buy Nord Stream 2 if it were put up for auction. Bild and the Financial Times reported that Moscow and Washington discussed restarting the pipeline with the participation of American investors.

The Kremlin then stated that it had no information about such negotiations. Later, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that resuming Russian gas and oil supplies to Western Europe was not under discussion.

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