German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has accused Moscow of purposely holding up the delivery of a turbine by refusing to submit the paperwork needed to transport the item to Russia, where its installation will allow for increased gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
"There is no reason why this delivery cannot happen," Scholz said on August 3 while standing next to the turbine. Moscow only had to say that "they want to have the turbine and provide the necessary customs information for transport to Russia," the German leader added.
Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom cut flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany to one-fifth of capacity from July 27, saying the move was necessary because it hadn't received the turbine after it was sent out for maintenance.
Both Germany and the EU have said there was no technical justification for slowing the flow of gas and said Russia's moves were politically motivated and linked to EU sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In an interview with RFE/RL on July 26, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the turbine maintenance excuse was another example of how Russia was trying “every kind of tool and trick” to divide Europe in its stance against the war in Ukraine, which is now in its sixth month.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on August 3 that Gazprom still lacks the papers it needs to reinstall the repaired turbine in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
Peskov added that there were also problems with another machine, but technicians from a Siemens subsidiary "are in no hurry to repair it."
Gazprom said later in the day that Canadian, EU, and U.K. sanctions make the delivery of a Siemens engine to the Nord Stream Portovaya compressor station impossible.
However, German government spokesman Wolfgang Buechner said no documentation is needed to install the repaired turbine, while German Economy Ministry spokesman Stephan Haufe said the turbines are not included in European Union sanctions.
Since June, Russia has significantly reduced gas deliveries through Nord Stream 1. Gazprom justifies this with the absence of the turbine sent to Canada for repairs.
Siemens Energy has repeatedly rejected the accusations that it has failed to provide the relevant paperwork.