European demand for natural gas prevailed in a weekend decision to let pipeline machinery bypass Canadian trade sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine.

nordstream

Canada’s Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson described the move as “supporting Europe’s ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they transition away from Russian oil and gas.”

The decision allows a Canadian arm of Germany’s Siemens AG to return turbines for Russia’s Nord Stream 1 (NS1) gas pipeline. The equipment was in Montreal for maintenance when the Ukrainian war started.

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Europe, the largest buyer of Russian gas, imported about 45% of all its supply from...