Russia and US discuss restarting Nord Stream pipeline, Kremlin says

Washington and Moscow are in talks to revive the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday, as the Kremlin vies to regain a foothold in Europe amid the prospect of a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The Nord Stream pipelines, which previously carried gas from Russia to Germany via pipelines under the Baltic Sea, were blown up in an apparent act of sabotage in late 2022.

"There is talk about the Nord Streams," Lavrov told the Russian state-controlled Channel One TV station Wednesday. "It will probably be interesting if the Americans use their influence on Europe and force it not to refuse Russian gas."

Before its all-out invasion of Ukraine, Moscow provided 40 percent of the EU's gas imports — allowing it to wield vast influence over the bloc's energy supplies. Though the EU has since slashed that dependence by around two-thirds, the issue remains a sore point for Ukraine, since oil and gas purchases remain a key lifeline for Russia's war machine.

Lavrov's comments come after the Financial Times reported earlier this month that Moscow had enlisted a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin to restart gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream with the backing of American investors.

A European Commission spokesperson declined to comment. Last week, EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen insisted Brussels was not eyeing a return to Russian imports.