Moscow reiterated on Thursday that in order to return the turbine, it needed documents confirming that the device was not subject to Western sanctions.
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“Gazprom would very much like to get this turbine back. But it was not Gazprom that imposed the sanctions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Gazprom needs to protect itself (from the risks associated with sanctions),” he added.
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A source familiar with the situation, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, said that Gazprom received a set of documents on Wednesday from the German company Siemens Energy, which is in charge of servicing the turbine, including a permit from Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) to pass the turbine through customs.
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According to the paper, the German firm also told Gazprom that no official statement from the European Commission (EC) regarding sanctions was needed and that Britain had confirmed in writing that no sanctions would prevent the return of the turbine.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday that the turbine was fully operational and could be sent back to Russia at any time, provided Moscow was willing to take it over. Scholz visited the plant where the turbine is currently located and was able to inspect it.
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Nord Stream 1 transports gas from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea and is the main route for Russian gas supplies to the European Union.
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