David Kurten has called for reactivating the only undamaged Nord Stream gas pipeline
British Eurosceptic politician David Kurten has called for a partial relaunch of the Nord Stream pipeline system – which previously pumped Russian natural gas to the EU – amid freezing weather and supply fears.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, the politician, who leads the Heritage Party, advocated purchasing gas from Russia to address a potential energy shortage.
“One of the four Nord Stream pipelines is undamaged and could be turned on again very quickly. Let’s buy good, cheap gas from our friends in Russia once again,” Kurten wrote.
British gas supplier Centrica warned last week that “plunging temperatures… have reduced UK winter gas storage to concerningly low levels.”
“Stubbornly high” gas prices have made it “more difficult to top up storage,” the company added. The network operator National Gas has since downplayed the concerns, stating that the storage level “remains healthy.”
The Nord Stream system, operated by Russia’s Gazprom and designed to pump gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, consists of two parts – Nord Stream 1 and 2. The first was launched in 2011, becoming a key energy source for the EU. Nord Stream 2, completed in 2021, was intended to double the system’s capacity, but never went online due to certification issues in Germany – which were exacerbated by the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict the following year.
Both Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were ruptured in September 2022 in what EU officials described as an act of sabotage. Explosions rendered three of the four conduits inoperable.
Russia has repeatedly called for an impartial international investigation, while criticizing the transparency of European-led probes. Moscow has suggested that the United States may have been behind the explosions, in an attempt to reduce Russia’s energy leverage.
READ MORE: US investor eyes purchase of sabotaged Russian pipeline – WSJ
The Nord Stream shut-down has sent energy prices soaring in Germany, which previously bought over 50% of its natural gas from Russia. In 2023, the EU’s largest economy recorded a recession, according to official statistics. Other countries, including Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia, have also experienced disruptions, which have been further exacerbated the suspension of Russian gas transit via Ukraine, after Kiev refused to extend a transit deal.
German opposition politician and candidate for chancellor Alice Weidel pledged last week to put Nord Stream back into operation if her party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), wins next month’s general election.
READ MORE: Nord Stream pipeline should be relaunched — German chancellor candidate
The UK, unlike many European nations, historically imported only a small percentage of its gas from Russia. Before 2022, Russian imports accounted for less than 4% of the UK’s total supply, trailing behind domestic production in the North Sea, and imports from Norway, Qatar, and the United States.
The Heritage Party was founded by Kurten in 2020. It claims to defend traditional family values and national sovereignty, while seeking to scale back UK ties with the European Union. In the UK general election last July, it contested several constituencies but did not secure any seats in parliament.
