US eyeing Nord Stream takeover, says Russia’s Lavrov

Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said ​the U.S. has ​been seeking control over the Nord Stream ​gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, which were damaged by mysterious blast in September 2022.

Explosions that destroyed the ‌pipelines more ⁠than three years ⁠ago largely severed Russian gas transit to Europe, squeezing ​energy supplies on the continent although Russia had already largely ​stopped deliveries. Russia and Western countries have both said the incident was an act of sabotage.

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Investigators ​spent years trying to piece together ⁠the mystery ‌of who was behind it ​and ​last year a Ukrainian man was arrested ⁠in Italy on suspicion of coordinating the attacks. Speaking ​to France Televisions on Thursday, Lavrov ​said the U.S. has been striving to dominate over the global energy markets, citing Venezuela, where Washington has effectively taken under control the world's largest oil reserves, as well as Iran.

"The ‌United States is also now saying that it wants to take over the ​Nord Stream ​pipelines," Lavrov ⁠said according to the text of the interview published by Russia's foreign ministry.

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He did not provide details.

The ​Wall Street Journal reported in 2024 that an American investor, Stephen P. Lynch, was seeking to buy the two-pronged Nord Stream 2 pipeline, one line of which remains intact.