With Nord Stream 1 in the throes of its annual check up and Europeans wondering if gas transmission will resume after the final examination, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the future of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany would depend on gas demand in Europe and Western sanctions against Russia.

More specifically, the central issue seems to be the return of a turbine from Canada which had been under the sanctions regime, but Canada said last weekend it had issued a permit to allow the return of the turbine for Nord Stream 1's Portovaya compressor station in Russia.

The West has accused Russia, a key exporter of oil and gas, of stepping up the use of energy as a geopolitical weapon since it sent its army into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Last month, Russia cut gas flows to 40% of Nord Stream 1's total capacity, citing the delayed return of the turbine.