Russia mothballs Nord Streams

Russia has no plans to repair the blown-up Nord Stream pipelines and is going to seal the pipelines, Reuters reports, citing sources.

Details. One interlocutor said that Russia "buried" the project. Another source familiar with the plans confirmed that the owners are considering mothballing the pipes. Most likely, this will mean sealing the broken ends and measures to prevent further seawater corrosion. Two agency sources said that while there is no plan to repair the broken pipelines, they will be kept for a possible future launch.

• Moscow does not see any improvement in relations with the West in the foreseeable future that would allow the pipelines to run, sources told Reuters. One of the interlocutors of the agency admitted that if liquefied natural gas from the United States, which Europe partially replaced Russian fuel, becomes much more expensive, perhaps European countries will be ready to resume purchases in large volumes from Russia.

Context. In September, three of the four branches of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines were blown up in the Baltic Sea. The investigation in Sweden and Denmark has not yet reported the results of the investigation into the explosions. Russia accused the Anglo-Saxons of sabotage. German and Polish politicians assumed that Russia could have organized the bombings.

• Gazprom reported that it was technically possible to repair broken pipelines.