Lavrov Claims US Eyes Control of Nord Stream Pipelines

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the United States expressed interest in taking control of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.

"The United States is now also saying it wants to take over Nord Stream," Lavrov stated.

The minister also emphasized that the pipelines were attacked in 2022 with what he described as clear support from Western intelligence services.

"No one condemned this act. Neither France nor Germany, which, in my view, shamefully swallowed this act of sabotage against its fundamental interests," Lavrov added.

US Interest in Investing in Nord Stream

Former adviser to US President Donald Trump, George Papadopoulos, has claimed that Washington is interested in investing in the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines.

"The Nord Stream pipelines are extremely important and highly interesting projects for potential US investment," Papadopoulos said.

He also noted that the United States seeks to restore relations with Russia, adding that Washington would like a new chapter in bilateral cooperation to last at least until the end of the century.

Reports of Secret Negotiations

According to Berliner Zeitung, Russian pipelines could be relaunched, potentially bypassing the European Union, with management transferred to the United States. The report suggests that behind-the-scenes negotiations over the future of the pipelines have already begun.

An anonymous source cited by Le Monde, described as close to Gazprom, claimed that Nord Stream is "definitely” part of closed-door discussions between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Allegations of Intelligence Awareness

The US Central Intelligence Agency may have had early knowledge of plans to sabotage the Nord Stream pipelines. According to Der Spiegel, CIA officials met with Ukrainian sabotage specialists in Kyiv in the spring of 2022, where the idea of an attack was reportedly presented.

The publication notes that US representatives acted "at minimum as sympathetic listeners” during these discussions.

Kyiv allegedly hoped for CIA funding for the operation, but by the summer of 2022 Washington informed Ukrainian counterparts that it opposed the sabotage and would not provide financial support. No detailed explanation for this decision was given.

According to the report, the operation was ultimately financed by a private Ukrainian sponsor, who allocated approximately $300,000 for equipment, yacht rental, and explosives.

Journalists also reported that the sabotage was approved by former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and current ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, allegedly without the knowledge of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.