Russia will restart construction of its Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany this week in the face of US sanctions that have paused construction for more than a year.
Kremlin-controlled gas group Gazprom will commence pipe laying in a section of the Baltic Sea administered by Denmark on Friday, despite measures from Washington designed to cripple the politically divisive project financed by five of Europe’s biggest energy companies.
The US, backed by Poland and other eastern EU states, claims the pipeline is a political project designed to increase Europe’s reliance on Moscow and bypass already existing pipelines through Ukraine. Russia and Germany say it is a purely commercial initiative to meet future higher gas demand in Europe.