German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was criticized for his decision to return a repaired turbine for Nord Stream to Gazprom.
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“I believe that criticism of Trudeau and his government is completely unjustified. The decision to send the turbine can hardly be called a favor to Gazprom,” he said, adding that such a decision, on the contrary, contributes to the strengthening of Germany and other European countries.
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Scholz disagreed that Gazprom “fooled” the Canadian prime minister when he said he could not guarantee supplies due to extraordinary circumstances. He is convinced that “since the turbine is ready for delivery, Russia should renew its obligations under the agreement.”
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Since July 27, Nord Stream has been used at about 20% of its maximum capacity due to the shutdown of two gas turbines. One of them – made in Canada by Siemens Energy – was sent to Montreal for repairs. Due to Ottawa’s sanctions against Moscow, the manufacturer initially refused to return the repaired equipment to Germany, but after numerous requests from the FRG, he nevertheless decided to return it. On July 25, Gazprom announced the forced shutdown of another gas turbine engine at the Portovaya compressor station due to the end of the time between overhauls before overhaul. Thus, only one turbine remains in working condition.
