Denmark gives go-ahead to maintenance work on Nord Stream 2 pipeline
The operating company of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is being allowed to carry out maintenance work on its pipeline in the Baltic Sea, which was damaged in 2022.
The Danish Energy Agency on Tuesday granted Nord Stream 2 AG, which belongs to the Russian Gazprom group, permission to carry out such work on the pipe under certain conditions.
The work involves installing special plugs at the open pipe ends to prevent further leakage of natural gas. The work, scheduled for the second or third quarter of 2025, is expected to take two to three weeks.
According to the agency, the damaged pipeline A still contains a significant amount of natural gas, while pipeline B is intact and filled.
Several explosions in September 2022 damaged the two pipes of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and one of the two pipes of Nord Stream 2.
Russian natural gas had previously flowed to Germany through Nord Stream 1. Gas was also to be delivered to Germany via the almost €10-billion ($10.46-billion), 1,200-kilometre-long Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
However, it was never put into operation after completion because gas imports from Russia were suspended in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Russia sanctions on pause as Iran conflict heats up
The Senate is pushing off plans to sanction Russia and its trading partners until at least July, as war between Iran and Israel and Republicans' massive tax cuts bill blot out the popular bipartisan legislation. Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., are zeroing in on a revised version of their bill that would shield Ukraine's allies from some sanctions for trading with Russia and make other technical changes. But their hopes of getting a bill through the Senate this month have withered as other priorities take precedence. GOP leaders want President Donald Trump's tax and spending megabill on the floor next week, Iran is pulling Trump to the brink of direct military engagement, and the president hasn't given the Senate the green light to pass the sanctions. It doesn't help that a cryptocurrency bill took more than a month to clear the chamber, underscoring the heavy lift needed in even popular proposals. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said on Tuesday that a 'July timeframe' for Russia sanctions was most likely at this point: 'We're very open to moving, we're trying to work with the administration from a timing standpoint.' And Graham told Semafor the Senate is 'going to have to wait a bit' on Russia sanctions, without giving a specific timetable. 'Things are changing now with Iran … that doesn't mean I've forgotten about Russia or Ukraine. Not at all,' Graham said of the timing of the legislation. 'Iran is center stage, but sooner rather than later.' Republicans have been threatening to move on the sanctions bill for weeks, eager to hit back at Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime. After military aid for Ukraine badly split the party, sanctions have become more unifying for Republicans — although plenty of them are not keen to move without Trump's go-ahead. That signal hasn't arrived yet. And while Graham negotiates with the White House, the spiraling conflict between Iran and Israel is eclipsing the deteriorating security situation in Europe. Trump left a Group of Seven meeting in Canada early — skipping a planned meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 'All the focus is on Israel and Iran right now,' Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told Semafor, adding that he is 'all for putting sanctions on' Russia. Trump convened a Situation Room meeting on Tuesday amid open posturing that he might strike Iran's nuclear facilities, but by nightime he had not made a call. Graham and Blumenthal vowed imminent floor action after visiting Ukraine recently and said they'd hoped to have their bill approved by this week's G7 meetings. Thune and other top Republicans later said the Senate could take the bill up this month as efforts by the Trump administration to get peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow off the ground fell short. Those scheduling hopes are now all but out of reach. Earlier this week, Russia targeted Kyiv with deadly drone and missile strikes. In an interview, Blumenthal said he and Graham are 'making tremendous progress' with the administration but 'our real obstacle is everything else that's going on, particularly reconciliation,' the vehicle for Trump's tax cuts. 'Things here never move as fast as we would like, but there are no obstacles besides everything else that's going on in the world. And Donald Trump personally should call on Congress to move,' Blumenthal added. Proponents of the sanctions legislation argue it would give Trump more leverage to force Putin — who thus far has spurned peace talks — to the table. 'We want to strengthen our hand in the negotiation. So that timing is being done, from our perspective, with the administration,' said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. 'We want to help effectuate an outcome in Ukraine, so we're trying to use it in a way that actually helps get something done' The bipartisan Senate bill would give the administration the power to impose secondary sanctions on Russian trading partners, including countries that purchase Russian energy. Graham told Semafor earlier this month that he was working on a carveout for nations who have supported Ukraine — a tweak that would ease worries in Europe about the impact of the penalties and likely make the bill easier to pass. Blumenthal said they are also adjusting the legislation around the contours of the world banking system. 'There is no evidence that Putin is going to slow down,' Graham told Semafor on Tuesday. 'We need to change the approach. I think the sanctions will give the president leverage.' Democrats — even those who don't always toe the party line — are plenty impatient. They'd like to see the Senate pass sanctions now and go even further with more weapons for Ukraine. 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The U.K. moved ahead with new sanctions on Russia on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
G7 summit ends without joint communiqué, but Canada, India reach diplomatic truce
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A senior Canadian government official — who briefed reporters at the G7 on background — said the U.S. was offside with the other countries on Ukraine and sought weaker language than what the other members proposed. Canada planned to use the language the other countries agreed to in its closing chair's statement. Ottawa did not want to release a weak statement, the official said. The official said that it was challenging to get the U.S. to agree on a statement on Ukraine in part because Washington is trying to negotiate a ceasefire or peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Carney outlined $4.3 billion in new Canadian support for Ukraine's defence and another set of sanctions on Russia as he met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit on Tuesday morning. That sum includes $2 billion for the purchase and donation of weapons and matériel, along with a $2.3-billion loan to help the embattled country rebuild its infrastructure, to be repaid by interest on frozen Russian assets. French President Emmanuel Macron said Carney fulfilled his mission as G7 host by preserving the unity of the multilateral organization. 'We shouldn't ask the Canadian presidency to resolve every issue on earth today. That would be unfair. But he held the group together,' said Macron, who will host the G7 next year. The G7 leaders note they are 'deeply concerned by growing reports of transnational repression,' defined in the statement as an aggressive form of foreign interference which sees states or their proxies try to intimidate, harass, harm or coerce people outside their borders. The statement condemns all forms of transnational repression, which can include activities ranging from cyber-surveillance to assassination. It says a G7 initiative led by Canada that tracks online misinformation and threats to democracy, the Rapid Response Mechanism, will have its public reports include updates on transnational repression, and that the group will co-ordinate ways to counter those threats. The statement was published just before Carney met with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, whose government has been singled out by Canadian intelligence officials as a prolific perpetrator of foreign interference in Canada, including transnational repression. As their bilateral meeting began Tuesday, Carney said it was 'a great honour' to host Prime Minister Modi at the G7. 'It's a testament to the importance of your country, to your leadership, and to the importance of the issues that we look to tackle together,' Carney said, noting those issues include the energy transition, the future of AI and the fight against transnational repression and terrorism. Speaking through a translator, Modi said attending the G7 summit offers a great opportunity to serve the world. 'I believe that India-Canada relations are extremely important, and India and Canada should work together,' Modi said, noting that the two countries share democratic values. Following their meeting, Carney's office said the two leaders agreed to designate new high commissioners and restore regular diplomatic services to citizens in both countries. In 2023 and 2024, former prime minister Justin Trudeau and the RCMP said there was evidence linking agents of the Indian government to the murder of Canadian Sikh separatist activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023. Last October, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said the Mounties had evidence linking Indian government officials to other crimes in Canada, including extortion, coercion and homicide. Later that month, Canada announced it had expelled six Indian diplomats who refused to waive their diplomatic immunity in order to participate in the RCMP investigation — including the high commissioner. India expelled the acting Canadian high commissioner in New Delhi and five other Canadian diplomats in response, and the posts have remained vacant since then. Carney's decision to invite Modi to the G7 drew criticism from some Sikh organizations in Canada. The G7 leaders also signed on to a statement pledging to tackle migrant smuggling, including by exploring the potential use of sanctions to target criminals involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking operations. Another statement pledged to explore ways to benefit public services using artificial intelligence, including a Canadian initiative to 'increase government efficiency' at a time when Ottawa and most G7 peers seek to cut back spending on their civil service. A wider group of signatories, which includes Australia, India and South Korea, is committing to working together to invest in responsible critical minerals projects. Australia, India, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa also signed on with the G7 to a wildfire charter that calls for co-operation to prevent, fight and recover from devastating fires. The G7 leaders did release a statement Monday evening calling for a de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East in response to continued fighting between Israel and Iran. That came shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump announced he planned to leave the summit a day early to deal with the ongoing crisis. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained in Kananaskis on Tuesday as the American delegation's lead. — With files from Emilie Bergeron in Kananaskis and Sarah Ritchie in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025. Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version said that the G7 leaders could reach agreement on a statement about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
UK pushes for lower Russian oil cap as PM denies coalition of the willing is dead
Talks towards tightening the Russian oil price cap are ongoing, Sir Keir Starmer said as he denied plans for a so-called 'coalition of the willing' to protect Ukraine were dead. The Prime Minister said he 'strongly' believes that restrictions on the price of Russian crude oil should be strengthened to deplete the revenues Vladimir Putin uses to fund his war machine. The UK announced sanctions on 30 fresh targets linked to the Kremlin on Tuesday in a bid to ramp up pressure on Moscow as it continues resist calls for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. A wider package of measures which Sir Keir suggested would be forthcoming from allies gathered at the G7 summit in Canada is yet to materialise after splits opened up in the approach to Russia on Monday. Downing Street said Britain also plans to 'move with partners to tighten the oil price cap' after the group of the world's wealthiest countries agreed in 2022 to restrict the price Russian crude oil to 60 dollars a barrel. Speaking to reporters with him in Kananaskis, Sir Keir was asked whether such a move would be possible without the backing of the US, which has indicated reluctance to impose further sanctions on Moscow. 'Obviously today we're going to focus on Ukraine,' Sir Keir said. 'We've got President (Volodymyr) Zelensky coming in. We're putting in extra sanctions today, including sanctions on the shadow fleet. 'Others will be doing, similar actions in coming days. And so that does ramp up the pressure. 'On the oil price, obviously, we're still looking at how we're going to make that work. But I strongly believe that we have to put those sanctions in place. We're having those discussions with President Zelensky today.' Before abruptly leaving the summit on Monday, US President Donald Trump suggested he wanted to wait to 'see whether or not a deal is done' with Ukraine before targeting the Kremlin with further action. His remarks are awkward for Sir Keir, with whom he appeared to announce the completion of the US-UK trade deal, after the Prime Minister said G7 allies would seek to target Russian energy revenues. Talks to broker a possible peace in Ukraine have stalled as Moscow continues to pound the country with missile and drone attacks and holds out on US-backed proposals for an unconditional truce. Meanwhile, the UK and France have been leading efforts to assemble a so-called 'coalition of the willing' made up of nations prepared to send peacekeeping troops to Kyiv to enforce a potential truce. Asked whether those plans were dead in the water, Sir Keir told reporters: 'On the coalition of the willing, no, not at all. That is obviously intended to answer the question, how do you ensure that if a deal is reached, a deal is kept so it's a lasting deal? 'Because the concern, has always been, that there have been deals, if you like, before, Putin has then subsequently breached them. 'So how do you stop that happening again? And the military planning is still going on, as you would expect, so that, when the time comes, we're ready to act.' Mr Zelensky is attending the G7 conference in Kananaskis, along with leaders from Canada, the US, France, Italy, Japan, Germany and Britain. The Russian invasion is the top of the agenda on Tuesday, with Sir Keir also meeting the Ukrainian leader for face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the summit. Earlier, the UK announced sanctions targeting 20 oil tankers in Russia's shadow fleet, as well as measures to tighten the net around companies managing the vessels, Orion Star Group LLC and Valegro LLC-FZ. Britain also targeted two UK residents – Vladimir Pristoupa and Olech Tkacz – who the Government said had operated 'a shadowy network of shell companies' aiding Moscow. The branch of the Russian defence ministry leading the country's underwater intelligence gathering operations, known as Gugi, has also been sanctioned. Sir Keir said: 'These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin's war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine. 'We know that our sanctions are hitting hard, so while Putin shows total disregard for peace, we will not hesitate to keep tightening the screws. 'The threat posed by Russia cannot be underestimated, so I'm determined to take every step necessary to protect our national security and keep our country safe and secure.'
