Nord Stream (German–English mixed expression for "North Stream"; Russian: Северный поток, Severny potok) is a network of offshore natural gas pipelines which run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany to provide Western Europe with natural gas. It comprises two separate projects, Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Both pipelines each comprise two pipes, NS1 A and B as well as NS2 A and B, for a total of 4 physical pipes. Both pipelines start in Russia and land in Lubmin, Germany. They are majority owned (51 per cent) by Russia, along with German, Dutch and French stakeholders. They were financed by a consortium of companies from Russia, Germany, France, Austria and the Netherlands. It was the first pipeline that bypassed Ukraine and Poland to deliver Russian natural gas directly to West Europe.
- Nord Stream 1 (NS1) runs from Vyborg, in northwestern Russia near Finland, and entered service in 2011.[1] It is operated by Nord Stream AG. From 31 August 2022, Gazprom halted delivery indefinitely, officially because of maintenance.[2][3]
- Nord Stream 2 (NS2) runs from Ust-Luga in northwestern Russia near Estonia. The pipeline was built to increase gas exports towards Europe, aiming to double annual capacity. The project was completed in 2021, but did not enter service, because Germany withheld opening permission on February 22, 2022 due to Russia recognizing the Ukrainian separatist regions of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic as independent,[4] in line with a previous joint warning made with US president Joe Biden on February 7, 2022 to end the project if Russia were to invade Ukraine.[5]
The project Nord Stream 2 was opposed from the start by the United States,[6][7] primarily because it would increase German dependence on Russian energy. The United States later imposed sanctions on companies that were involved in the project.[8] The U.S. sanctions were criticized heavily by German politicians as "a serious interference in the internal affairs of Germany and Europe and their sovereignty".[9]
On 6 February 2022, speaking at a joint news conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz, American president Joe Biden said "If Russia invades … Ukraine again, then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it." When asked how he would do that, he responded, "I promise you, we’ll be able to do it."[10]
