Merz calls for North Stream ban: EU sanctions against Russia in focus!

Merz calls for North Stream ban: EU sanctions against Russia in focus!

Wien-Favoriten, Österreich - The political developments around the North Stream pipelines absorb journey. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has clearly spoken out for a ban on the North Stream pipelines. He would like to prevent possible cooperation between the United States and Russia to restart the pipelines. Merz and his government support the ban as part of the EU sanctions against Russia because of the Ukraine War. These sanctions aim to exert economic pressure on Russia in order to punish its military aggression, reports Our Central Europe .

President Joe Biden also described the North Stream projects as a "bad deal for Europe". This confirms the critical attitude of the United States compared to the dependence of Europe on Russian gas and underlines the need to find alternative energy sources. The bidet government has already taken measures to prevent the reactivation of pipelines and to secure European energy supply, such as reported.

On May 24, 2025, the EU's 17th sanction package came into force against Russia, which already included significant measures against Russian banks. The 18th sanction package, which is in preparation, could include additional sanctions against the North Stream pipelines. The EU Commission plans to exclude more than 20 Russian banks from the international payment system Swift. The exact time for the entry into force of this new package is currently still unclear, since it requires the unanimous approval of all Member States, such as n-tv reported.

The sanction package also includes a ban on around 200 ships from the Russian shadow fleet, to create in EU ports and affects around 30 economic actors with new export restrictions. In addition, dozens of people and companies should either be prohibited from business activities in the EU or whose assets are confiscated.

economic and political effects

The effectiveness of the sanctions remains discu-tabel. Critics doubt their influence on Russian politics, while supporters speak of significant economic consequences. A particularly controversial topic is the possible recovery of Nord Stream 2, which is supported by the US businessman Stephen P. Lynch. Although the project has already been completed, it was never put into operation after the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022. Pipelines' strands were damaged in September 2022 when attacks.

The pressure on Russia on the part of the western alliance is expected to continue to increase, while the geopolitical tensions will not be released in the coming months.