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Canada will eventually return to Germany gas turbines needed to operate the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the main gas pipeline that supplies Germany with Russian gas. But the country is not yet totally reassured.
With our correspondent in Berlin, Nathalie Versionux
Since mid-June, Germany has only received 40% of normal gas deliveries from Russia. An economic disaster for this country, very dependent on Russian gas.
Officially, Moscow invokes European sanctions to justify the sharp reduction in deliveries for a month. The sanctions have so far prohibited the Canadian subsidiary of Siemens from returning to Russia defective turbines – meanwhile repaired – necessary for the operation of the gas pipeline.
Berlin does not believe this version, convinced that Putin is using the weapon of gas to penalize support for Ukraine. With the imminent return to Russia of Siemens turbines, nothing stands in the way of the return of Russian gas to Germany.
For the German economy, everything will be decided at the end of the month, when Nord Stream 1 must resume service, after the ritual summer maintenance works which start tomorrow.
The deadline is awaited with concern by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who fears that Moscow will invoke new technical problems to completely cut off the gas tap this time.
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