STORY – Ottawa gives in to pressure from Berlin, worried about a Russian gas tap shutting down. The decision angers Ukrainians.
Montréal
“Canada will grant Siemens Canada a revocable, time-limited permit to allow the repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to be returned to Germany (au Canada), which will support Europe’s ability to access reliable and affordable energy , Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson tweeted this weekend. After weeks of discussions with Berlin and kyiv, Ottawa finally gave in to German pressure. Siemens regularly manufactures and repairs Nord Stream 1 turbines in Montreal. Some are currently under maintenance and blocked in Canada’s second city under sanctions imposed on Moscow, while gas supply via Nord Stream 1 would only work at 40% of its capacity for lack of this equipment.
Several observers, however, have judged that this is a pretext for Russia to drive up gas prices. While Minister Wilkinson still cast doubt on Ottawa’s intentions…