The Swiss company behind the DKK 75 billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has filed for bankruptcy and fired all its employees after Western sanctions, according to Swiss radio station SRF.
Nord Stream 2 AG, which is owned by the Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom, is seeking to settle its bankruptcy claims ahead of a US sanction deadline that will prevent other entities from dealing with it.
“Following the recent geopolitical developments that led to the imposition of US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the company had to terminate contracts with employees. We very much regret this development,” a spokesman told Reuters.
Gazprom’s European partners in the Nord Stream 2 project included Uniper, Shell, Wintershall Dea, Engie and OMV.
A build-up of international pressure
Last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suspended the certification of the 1,230 km long natural gas pipeline in response to Russia’s escalating invasion of Ukraine following rising pressure from EU neighbors and the United States.
Washington DC has been arguing for years that the construction of another gas pipeline between Germany and Russia – especially one that bypasses Ukraine – will increase Europe’s dependence on Russian energy supplies.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the pipeline to be suspended “immediately”.
Source: The Nordic Page