Lavrov Confirms US-Russia Talks on Nord Stream Pipelines Amidst Ukraine War

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that the United States and Russia are engaged in discussions regarding the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which are currently inactive on the Baltic Sea floor. Lavrov stated on Russian state television that restoring normal energy supplies to Europe is in the interest of both the U.S. and Russia. He also mentioned that it would be interesting to see if the U.S. uses its influence to persuade Europe not to reject Russian gas. These discussions occur against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with some reports suggesting that the potential reactivation of Nord Stream 2 is being considered as part of negotiations to end the war. The original Nord Stream 2 project, designed to deliver Russian gas to Germany, was halted following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Subsequent attacks in September 2022 damaged both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.