According to reports, a special envoy of Donald Trump has traveled to Switzerland to discuss reviving the gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.
Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, has reportedly made several trips to Switzerland to negotiate the restoration and reactivation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, according to Bild, citing informed sources.
Nord Stream 2, designed to supplement the existing Nord Stream 1, was completed in 2021 but never put into operation. In September 2022, underwater explosions caused severe leaks in the pipelines. Last August, the Wall Street Journal suggested a Ukrainian team sabotaged them.
Grenell, who previously served as ambassador to Berlin, is now Trump’s envoy for “special missions.” Bild reports that Grenell has made several unofficial visits to the headquarters of Nord Stream’s operating companies in Zug, Switzerland, to negotiate a potential agreement.
During his initial term, Trump criticized Nord Stream 2 and imposed sanctions on it. In an October interview, he even claimed his actions had “killed” the project. However, since his second term began, Trump has advocated for closer US-Russia ties, suggesting a possible easing of trade restrictions. One of the pipeline’s strings remains intact and filled with gas, but Germany has refused to use it for political reasons.
Reportedly, the proposed deal would involve American investors preventing Nord Stream 2 from going bankrupt by acquiring a stake in the company. According to the report, these investors would act as intermediaries, facilitating the supply of Russian gas to Germany and Central Europe through the pipeline. This arrangement could enable the US to profit if the pipeline becomes operational after a potential ceasefire in Ukraine and the lifting of Western sanctions. Furthermore, it would grant Washington significant influence over Germany’s energy supply, the article stated.
The report specified that while the US government wouldn’t be directly involved, American financial investors are considering participating in the potential gas deal.
The news outlet also mentioned alternative plans for the two Nord Stream 1 pipelines once they are repaired, suggesting that they could be converted to transport green hydrogen from Finland.
The German government has reportedly not been involved in these discussions, with sources in Berlin claiming ignorance of Grenell’s meetings in Switzerland. Grenell has also denied any involvement.
However, the Financial Times reported on Sunday that Matthias Warnig, former executive director of the Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 operator, brokered the talks.
The outlet further claimed that a US-led consortium has already developed a plan for an agreement with Russia’s Gazprom, which could be finalized once sanctions against Moscow are lifted.
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