OREANDA-NEWS  The German government is not informed about the discussions involving the United States regarding the reactivation of the Nord Stream pipeline, a spokesperson for the German government stated.

Earlier, the German media outlet Bild reported, citing its sources, that Richard Grenell, the special envoy for special assignments of the United States, had been making unofficial visits to Switzerland to negotiate the resumption of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. According to the report, the plan involves American investors acting as intermediaries in the supply of Russian gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

"The Federal Government was taken aback by the reports that surfaced over the weekend, but we do not have any information about this matter," a spokesperson for the German government said during a press conference on Monday.

He pointed out that Nord Stream is not yet certified, which means it cannot be used. The certification process is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection in Germany.

"I believe this would be a significant obstacle to restarting Nord Stream against the wishes of the federal government," he added, acknowledging that these are hypothetical scenarios.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany, consists of two parallel lines with a combined capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The construction of the pipeline was completed in September 2021, and preparations for its launch were underway, including technical preparations and obtaining regulatory approvals, primarily from the German authorities. However, following Russia's recognition of the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in February 2022, the German government halted the certification process. Additionally, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on the operator of the Nord Stream 2 AG project and its executive director, Matthias Warnig, simultaneously.