**Former Russian Spy Tries to Revive Controversial Pipeline**
Matthias Warnig, a former spy and close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is reportedly trying to get the US to support a restart of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. This was reported by the Financial Times on March 2.
Warnig used to work for Gazprom, Russia‘s main gas company. He is now trying to contact US officials through American businessmen. This happens as there are talks about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and making economic ties between the US and Russia stronger again.
**What is Nord Stream?**
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines were built in the Baltic Sea to bring natural gas from Russia to Europe. They were owned by Gazprom, but some European companies also helped finance them. In September 2022, three of these pipelines were damaged in a suspected sabotage attack.
**US Sanctions**
Warnig and his company were put under US sanctions in 2022 because of their work on Nord Stream 2. To revive the project, Washington would need to lift these sanctions, and Germany would have to agree to let Russian gas flow back into Europe.
A US official said it’s unlikely this could happen without causing problems between Berlin and other European countries that are still against Russia due to its actions in Ukraine.
Some European officials who know about these talks are worried and have talked about the matter.