An American investor is interested in purchasing the "Nord Stream 2" pipeline.

American investor Steven Lynch has approached the U.S. authorities for permission to participate in the auction for the purchase of the "Nord Stream 2" gas pipeline when it becomes available for bidding.

Source. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.

In February 2024, Lynch requested permission from the U.S. Treasury to negotiate with entities under sanctions, as journalists have uncovered. In Lynch's letter to the Treasury, it is stated that in January 2025, during the bankruptcy process of the "Nord Stream" operator, the deadline for restructuring the company's debt or liquidation will occur.

Lynch believes that after the war in Ukraine and Russia concludes, there will be a temptation to resume the operation of the pipeline, regardless of its ownership.

According to sources from WSJ, Lynch thinks he can acquire the operator, valued at approximately $11 billion, "for a song."

In his opinion, many investors will refrain from participating in the auction due to geopolitical factors, while others will not align with U.S. interests.

The purchase of the gas pipeline represents a "unique opportunity to control energy supplies to Europe until the end of the fossil fuel era," Lynch stated in an interview.

Moreover, owning the "Nord Stream" would provide the U.S. with leverage in peace negotiations with Russia, he believes.

WSJ describes the 57-year-old Lynch, who lived in Moscow for about 20 years, as a businessman who successfully acquired Russian assets at low prices and earned a reputation as one of the few American investors capable of navigating complex business and political conditions. In 2022, the U.S. Treasury granted him permission to purchase the Swiss subsidiary of Sberbank after sanctions were imposed on the parent company.

In 2007, a company linked to Lynch bought Yukos Finance – a subsidiary of Yukos that managed foreign assets – paying over $2 billion at a significant discount.

Additionally, Lynch made a substantial contribution to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, donating over $300,000 to pro-Republican committees.

On February 22, 2022, after Putin announced the recognition of the independence of the so-called "DNR/LNR," Germany halted the certification of "Nord Stream 2," which was never put into operation, and the next day, U.S. President Joe Biden imposed sanctions against the pipeline's operator, Nord Stream 2 AG.

Since then, the company's bankruptcy proceedings have been postponed several times at its request. Most recently, in June 2024, a court in Switzerland postponed the company's bankruptcy until January 2025. After the operator's bankruptcy, it is expected to be put up for auction.

Background. Recall that recently, the German newspaper Spiegel reported that Ukraine allegedly planned to blow up not only the "Nord Streams" but also the "Turkish Stream." The publication details how an operational group searched for and eventually found a way to detonate the pipes at depth.