Pipelines to the ground facilities of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. HANNIBAL HANSCHKE / Reuters
The U.S. government defended Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to release Russian-owned gas turbines that had been stranded at a Montreal repair facility due to sanctions against Moscow.
Russia last month cited the delayed return of the turbine equipment, which the German company Siemens Energy had been lending to Canada, as a reason for its decision to reduce the flow of natural gas through the Nord Stream gas pipeline 1 The pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany, was operating at 40% capacity.
The Canadian government announced Saturday that it would issue a special export permit for the turbines to avoid the sanctions Ottawa introduced after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. These measures prohibit the export of certain goods and technologies to Russia, including turbines.
The decision of Mr. Trudeau was condemned by Ukraine, which expressed “deep disappointment” and warned that the measure would encourage Moscow to continue using its ability to stifle Europe’s fuel supplies as a weapon.
The U.S. government, however, said Monday it supported Canada, arguing that sending the turbines will increase Europe’s energy security.
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States supports the reduction of “collective dependence on Russian energy” and said that in the short term the repatriation of turbines “would allow in Germany and other European countries replenish their gas reserves, increasing their energy security and resilience and counteracting them. ” Russia’s efforts to arm the energy. “
Price said the U.S. is still working with Canada and other allies to find ways to “further reduce Russia’s energy revenues” in order to reduce Moscow’s “ability to finance its brutal war and in course in Ukraine “.
The Ukrainian government and other critics of Canada’s decision warned that the measure would undermine, not strengthen, European energy security.
Two men began a hunger strike on Sunday near the hill of the Parliament of Canada by the decision of Mr. They tried to return the turbines. Ladislao Zaichka, 21, is a Canadian of Ukrainian descent and Arseni Pivtorak, 19, a Ukrainian citizen with permanent residency status in Canada, said Ottawa is betraying Kyiv. “Which side is my prime minister on?” Mr. Zaichka said Monday.
Nord Stream 1, majority owned by Russian state-owned Gazprom, was closed on Monday for annual maintenance. Flows are expected to stop for 10 days, but governments, markets and companies are worried that the shutdown could be prolonged due to the war in Ukraine. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has said the country should face the possibility of Russia suspending gas flows through the North Stream 1 beyond the scheduled maintenance period.
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said in a statement Saturday that Ottawa’s decision was a response to requests from Germany and other European countries, which depend on Russian gas to replenish their fuel supplies during the next winter months.
The grounded turbines will be sent to Germany, whose government will deliver them to Russia. The indirect route back could allow Canada to say it has not waived its sanctions.
Initially, it looked like there was only one turbine in question. Keean Nembhard, press secretary to Mr. Wilkinson, clarified Sunday that there are six.
In a statement posted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Kyiv described Canada’s decision to issue an export permit allowing the return of the repaired turbine equipment as “the adjustment of the regime of sanctions at the whims of Russia “.
“This dangerous precedent violates international solidarity, goes against the rule of law and will only have one consequence: it will strengthen Moscow’s sense of impunity,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry said. of Energy of Ukraine.
In the statement, Kyiv also answered Russia’s claim that it requires the turbine equipment to meet its natural gas deliveries to Germany.
The Ukrainian government said that Russia’s demand for the return of the turbine equipment to resume a larger volume of gas deliveries to Europe meant blackmail and unconventional war tactics. The team’s return “will allow Russia to continue to use energy as a hybrid warfare tool against Europe,” the statement said.
Ihor Michalchyshyn, director general of the Ukrainian Ukrainian Congress, which represents the Ukrainian community in Canada, said the return of the turbines will encourage Moscow to continue using energy as a weapon.
“Having shown the Russian regime that its blackmail tactics are successful, Canada and Germany are making more ultimatums and energy terrorism by Russia a virtual certainty,” Michalchyshyn said.
Energy analyst Sergey Vakulenko, in a recent report for think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Moscow seems determined to use the gas supply as a weapon, although Europe is struggling to reduce emissions. its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that natural gas will be one of the main battlegrounds of the geoeconomic war between Russia and the West,” he wrote.
German officials have said Moscow is using the turbine equipment as an excuse to apply economic pressure to Europe. Returning it would eliminate that excuse, Habeck said last week in a call to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In his statement announcing the release of the turbines, Mr. Wilkinson said Canada will continue to impose sanctions on Moscow and is working with European leaders to end dependence on Russian gas imports as soon as possible and to stabilize energy markets.
Conservative foreign critic Michael Chong said Sunday that the Liberal government’s decision will “perversely” increase Russian gas exports to Europe, although Ottawa does not approve new nationally liquefied natural gas pipelines and terminals that could increase Canadian gas exports.
“Instead of circumventing the package of global sanctions aimed at punishing Putin, the Liberal government should approve new pipelines and liquid natural gas terminals so that Canadian natural gas can displace Russian energy supply to Europe,” he said. in a statement signed by several other Conservative MPs. .
With reports from Reuters and the Associated Press