US contemplates purchasing Nord Stream

(MENAFN) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has suggested that the sabotaged Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could soon be owned by a US investor, with gas supplies from Russia to the European Union potentially resuming through the pipeline. In an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Vucic predicted that within a year, the pipeline would be in the hands of an American investor, and Russian gas would flow to Europe once more.

This statement follows reports from the Wall Street Journal that US financier Stephen Lynch has sought permission from the US Treasury to purchase the pipeline if it is auctioned next year. The pipeline, which was designed to carry Russian gas to Germany and Western Europe, was damaged by explosions in the Baltic Sea in September 2022.

Lynch has expressed interest in acquiring the pipeline, valued at approximately $11 billion, for a fraction of its worth, calling it a rare opportunity for the US to control Europe's energy supply and leverage it in future negotiations with Russia.

While no one has officially claimed responsibility for the pipeline attack, various reports have linked a special operations team associated with Ukraine to the incident. Additionally, some sources, including journalist Seymour Hersh, suggest that the US Navy may have played a role in the sabotage, a claim denied by the US, UK, and Ukraine. Moscow has accused Western intelligence agencies, particularly those of the US and the UK, of involvement in the destruction of the pipeline.

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