Russia and the United States are reportedly negotiating Washington's purchase of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, as well as stakes in oil refineries located in Germany, German news agency Correctiv reported, citing its own sources.
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| Nord Stream deal: Russia-US secret 'handshake', Germany left behind? (Source: Shutterstock) |
"Russia and the United States have been negotiating for months on the acquisition of the Nord Stream infrastructure, including the conditions for resuming Russian oil and gas exports to the EU. In addition, other energy assets in Germany owned by Russian state corporations are also of interest to US companies. Germany can only stand by and watch," the news agency noted.
In addition to the Nord Stream pipeline, the German news agency also wanted to talk about the RSK oil refinery in Schwedt, Brandenburg state, eastern Germany, where about 54% of the shares belong to the Russian energy corporation Rosneft.
As noted in the source, other shareholders of the plant, such as British oil company Shell, are no longer interested in the asset and have no intention of continuing to invest in the refinery.
Meanwhile, Correctiv reports that US companies are considering the prospect of acquiring a stake in Rosneft. The refinery in Schwedt could thus become an additional facility within the framework of a (hypothetical) agreement between Russia and the US on the division of spheres of influence over Germany's energy policy.
According to sources close to the negotiations, in addition to representatives from the US and Russia, the office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the German Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection are also involved in the process.
"Unlike the German Economy Ministry, the German Foreign Ministry was not included in the list of participants in the negotiations. A source involved in the negotiations described the process as "being influenced by the US agenda" and stated that "the less involvement of the German government, the higher the chances of success," Correctiv reported.
Russia and the United States appear to be close to reaching a compromise on the Nord Stream operation, as well as on refineries with Russian equity participation, with a decision likely to be made in the coming weeks, according to another person involved in the talks.
“Russia and the US can be compared to two partners patting each other on the back, one selling raw materials, the other transporting them. Both make money and the Europeans pay,” said an anonymous source.
Analysts say that if Washington gets control of the pipeline, it will be a painful defeat for both Russia and Germany, as the US is behind the EU's manipulation of Russian energy sanctions, contributing to the paralysis of the pipeline, forcing Europe to buy liquefied natural gas from the US at higher prices. If the US gains control of the "Nord Stream", Washington can completely control a large portion of Russian gas to Europe.
Meanwhile, commenting on the progress of the negotiations, the representative of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Norbert Rettgen, called on Berlin to officially change its strategy immediately and stop the implementation of the agreement. "Otherwise, everything will be decided behind our backs again," Mr. Rettgen worried.
Meanwhile, neither Russia nor the US have officially commented on Correctiv 's information. But on March 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about a potential deal with the US, saying that "if Washington and Moscow reach an agreement on energy cooperation, a gas pipeline could be provided to Europe, which would also benefit Europe because they would receive cheap Russian gas."
On March 4, Bild newspaper cited sources as saying that the German cabinet is considering options to prevent the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from being put into operation due to potential agreements between Russia and the United States.
Meanwhile, on the Russian side, answering the question about the possibility of restoring the flow of Russian gas to the EU. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Moscow does not expect a quick solution regarding the resumption of gas exports to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline, according to Tass.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thuong-vu-nord-stream-nga-my-bi-mat-bat-tay-duc-cam-long-bi-bo-lai-phia-sau-307659.html
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