Support The Moscow Times!

Nord Stream 2 Chief Says Pipeline Will be Finished This Summer

Nord Stream 2 has been beset by construction delays after former U.S. President Donald Trump launched a last-ditch sanctions effort to thwart its completion. EPA

The controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany will be completed this summer, the head of the company behind the project said in an interview with German media on Sunday.

"We expect construction to be completed by the end of August," Matthias Warnig, CEO of the Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 AG, told the Handelsblatt financial daily.

Despite the threat of U.S. sanctions, "we will have a pipeline that meets all licensing requirements and international industry standards," he said, adding that he hoped it would be operational "before the end of this year."

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, set to double natural gas supplies from Russia to Germany, has long divided European capitals and fueled tensions with Washington.

The project is set to bypass Ukraine's pipeline infrastructure, depriving the country of around a billion euros annually in transit fees and, Kiev fears, removing a key check on potential Russian aggression.

Poland and the Baltic states have also strongly opposed Nord Stream 2, fearful that Russian President Vladimir Putin will gain greater power over smaller countries that broke free from Moscow's control with the end of the Cold War.

But U.S. President Joe Biden in May waived key sanctions on Nord Stream 2 after concluding that it was too late to stop the project and it was better to seek cooperation with Germany.

U.S. officials have previously voiced hope that Germany will agree to outline automatic retaliatory steps that would be triggered if Russia steps up pressure on Ukraine. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin on Monday and will travel to Washington to meet Biden later in the week.

According to Warnig, there is still a "high" risk that parts of the U.S. Congress will continue to insist on sanctions on Nord Stream 2, including on potential buyers of gas from the pipeline.

"I no longer rule anything out. If you were to sanction the buyers, however, you would be entering a new dimension of economic warfare," he said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more