Merz is in talks with officials in Berlin and Brussels to address concerns over Kremlin-linked Russian and American businessmen seeking to restart the pipelines and to find ways to prevent it.
By supporting sanctions against Nord Stream and potentially including it on the EU sanctions list, Merz aims to alleviate political pressure by promoting a unified European response, rather than facing pressure alone from the U.S. and Russia.
The EU's planned restrictions would target the Swiss-owned company Nord Stream 2 AG and other entities involved in operating the pipeline management.
“It is right that the Chancellor actively supports sanctions against Nord Stream 2. One of the goals of our sanctions is to cut off Russia from revenues that could be used to finance its aggressive war against Ukraine,” said a German government spokesperson.
On May 16, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU was preparing a new sanctions package targeting Russia’s Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, oil price cap, shadow fleet, and financial sector.
On March 26, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed the United States and Russia were discussing the Nord Stream pipelines. He cynically described European politicians who oppose the revival of the Nord Stream pipelines as "sick people or suicides"
The Nord Stream pipeline from Russia to Germany is the largest potential route for Russian gas supplies to Europe. Nord Stream 1 operated from 2011 to 2022. The $11 billion Nord Stream 2 project was completed in 2021 but never launched, as Germany halted the plan shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In September 2022, explosions damaged three of the four Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in neutral Baltic waters. Though non-operational at the time, the pipelines were filled with technical gas.
Poland and Ukraine blamed Russia for the sabotage, while Moscow accused “Anglo-Saxons” and denied involvement.
German media later reported that a yacht allegedly used by saboteurs belonged to Ukrainian nationals, with one individual linked to the yacht residing in Ukraine. Both Ukrainian officials and President Zelenskyy denied any involvement.
“I’m the president and give orders accordingly. Ukraine did no such thing. I’d never act that way,” Zelenskyy said in June 2023.
In February 2024, Danish and Swedish authorities closed their probes into the blasts, citing insufficient grounds for criminal cases.