Nord Stream 2 pipeline Â
Context: In a development that could ratchet up tensions between the United States and Germany, Nord Stream 2 pipeline work has been resumed.
Details:
- In 2015, Gazprom and 5 other European energy firms decided to build Nord Stream 2, valued at around $11 billion.
- The 1,200 km pipeline will run from Ust-Luga in Russia to Greifswald in Germany, and will carry 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year.
- The pipeline falls in German and Danish territory, and all but 150 km of pipes for the project have already been laid.
Controversy:
- Nord Stream 2 has drawn criticism from the US, where both the Democratic and Republican parties believe that the project would increase Europe’s dependence on Russia for natural gas, thus boldening its President Vladimir Putin.
- Currently, EU countries already rely on Russia for 40% of their gas needs.
- The project has also irked Ukraine, whose ties with Russia have seriously deteriorated in the aftermath of the Crimean conflict in 2014.
- France has also expressed its opposition to the project, as have some others in Eastern Europe.
1.png)
