Nina Scheer, a prominent member of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), suggested on Thursday, April 24, that the U.S. might be justified in lifting sanctions on Russian energy infrastructure.
“The U.S. sanctions [on Nord Stream 2 AG] were unlawful from the start,” said Scheer, the SPD’s energy spokesperson, in a statement. “Lifting them would be in line with international law. In the interest of pursuing diplomatic paths to peace and ending the war of aggression against Ukraine, steps that could potentially support this process should be encouraged.”
Scheer, whose left-leaning SPD is expected to join the next coalition government, stressed that her view on sanctions doesn’t change Germany’s focus on renewable energy. “We must accelerate the transition to renewable energy. This remains true no matter how sanctions on Nord Stream 2 are handled,” she said.
The suggestion of easing sanctions has faced criticism in Germany, where the government has been trying to reduce its reliance on Russian gas since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Despite Scheer’s comments, Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has dismissed the idea of using Nord Stream 2.
“The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is not certified and has not been legally approved. As such, using the pipeline is not even under consideration,” a ministry spokesperson said.
