Overview

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Berlin will take every measure to keep Nord Stream 2 permanently offline.
• The 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines involved massive underwater explosions that rendered one NS2 pipe unusable and destroyed both NS1 lines.
• Recent reports suggested Moscow and US investors had explored reviving the stalled link, a prospect Merz’s statement now unequivocally rejects.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing a fresh sanctions package specifically targeting the Nord Stream infrastructure.
• Germany’s hardline stance illustrates its shift away from Russian gas in order to cut revenue streams funding Moscow’s war machine.