Canada and Germany are close to concluding an agreement on the return of a gas turbine for Nord Stream to Russia. On Friday, June 8, reports The Globe and Mail, citing a source.
According to the publication, the negotiations are constructive and a decision can be made within a few days, but this will require some effort from the parties. It is assumed that the return of the turbine will help reduce economic stress in the Eurozone.
At the moment, the issue is being discussed with Kyiv, which opposes the lifting of sanctions and the transfer of turbines from Gazprom to Russia.
“We are aware of the conversation between Canada and Germany regarding the Siemens turbine and we very much hope that the Canadian government will ensure the full integrity of the current sanctions regime,” Ukrainian embassy officials in Ottawa said.
Earlier on the same day, European Pravda, citing sources, reported that the Canadian authorities decided to exclude the Nord Stream 1 turbine from anti-Russian sanctions and supply it to Germany. Officially, Ottawa has not yet taken such measures. The reason for the possible lifting of the embargo is that the supply of a turbine to Berlin will restore the volume of Russian gas pumped to the European Union.
The day before, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck asked the Canadian government to resolve the issue of a turbine for Nord Stream. He noted that the gas pipeline turbine must be returned before the start of scheduled repairs on July 11.
At the end of June, Habek said that in the event of a shortage of gas in Germany, a number of industries would have to stop working.
On June 14 and 15, Gazprom announced the shutdown of first two, and then another gas compressor units serving Nord Stream. This happened, among other things, due to the fact that the German company Siemens, due to sanctions against the Russian Federation, cannot return the turbines that remained in Canada for maintenance. As a result, gas flow has decreased. At the same time, Siemens Energy on June 29 rejected Russian statements that gas supplies to Berlin via Nord Stream were limited due to the refusal to return the turbines.
On June 16, the German authorities announced a reduction in the flow of gas into the country via Nord Stream to 40% of its capacity.
