BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to do everything he could to ensure “that Nord Stream 2 cannot be put back into operation” during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin.

The Nord Stream pipelines, which previously carried gas from Russia to Germany via pipelines under the Baltic Sea, were blown up in an apparent act of sabotage in late 2022. Since then, some German politicians have come out in support of restarting the flow of natural gas.

The Kremlin has also reportedly pushed for putting the pipelines back into use. In March, the Financial Times reported that Moscow had enlisted a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin to restart gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream with the backing of American investors.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is working on a new sanctions package against Russia that would also include targeting the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines. While some politicians in Germany have criticized that approach, Merz’s statement today served to make the government’s position clear.

Ensuring Nord Stream 2 cannot be put back into use will “weaken Moscow’s war machine” and “open the way for negotiations,” said Merz.

The Nord Stream pipelines had long been a source of tension between Germany and Ukraine. Ukrainian officials long argued that Germany’s purchase of cheap Russian gas emboldened Putin and helped fund Moscow’s war machine.