German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has publicly reaffirmed his determination to prevent any attempt to revive the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, declaring that Berlin will do “everything” within its power to stop the project from resuming operations. His statement came amid fragile diplomatic overtures between Moscow and Kiev, marking the first formal peace negotiations between the two parties since 2022.

Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference in Berlin on May 28, Merz emphasized that Germany is committed to intensifying pressure on Moscow through a new wave of economic sanctions, including punitive measures directly targeting the Nord Stream 2 infrastructure and its operating entities.

“We will do everything in this context to ensure that Nord Stream 2 cannot be put back into operation,” Merz asserted, reiterating his government’s alignment with Kyiv and broader EU policy. “Our objective is to weaken Moscow’s war machine and pave the way for serious negotiations through determined pressure.”

The statement marks a significant development in the ongoing geopolitical standoff over energy supplies and the Ukraine war. While Nord Stream 2 has not been operational since its physical destruction in September 2022-when a series of underwater explosions tore through its pipelines in an unsolved act of sabotage-the question of its legal status and theoretical revival continues to be a flashpoint in European politics.

Russia has long accused Western intelligence agencies of orchestrating the sabotage, a claim never confirmed by any international investigative body but one that continues to hang over EU-Russian relations like a........

© Blitz