US-German Agreement on Nord Stream 2 Includes Possible Sanctions
Washington has announced that it reached a deal with Germany on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which the US State Department called a bad deal for Ukraine and for Europe more broadly.
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An advertisement for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
The United States announced on Wednesday that it reached a deal with Germany regarding the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which states that sanctions will be placed on Russia if it uses its gas supplies as a political weapon.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas welcomed Berlin and Washington's agreement on the pipeline, which is set to tie Russia and Germany, calling it a "constructive solution," adding in a tweet that his country "will work to secure gas transit via Ukraine for the coming decade."
As transatlantic partners, we remain steadfast at #Ukraine’s side. It is good that we were able to agree on constructive solutions with the US – also on the issue of #NordStream2. - FM @HeikoMaas
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) July 21, 2021
Find the joint 🇺🇸-🇩🇪 Statement here: https://t.co/V4oH4yRJWF pic.twitter.com/9BXB2yP2Ri
Republican opponents of President Joe Biden were quick to condemn the deal, calling it a "gift" to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We continue to oppose the Nord Stream 2 pipeline,” State Department Spokesperson Price said. “We view it as a Kremlin geopolitical project that is intended to expand Russia’s influence over Europe’s energy resources and to circumvent Ukraine. We have made no bones about the fact that it is a bad deal for Germany, it is a bad deal for Ukraine and for Europe more broadly.”
Biden, who met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week, waived most sanctions on Nord Stream 2 that Congress had called for, under the pretense that it was too late to do so. Commenting on the matter Price said: "It did not make sense to sanction our allies over a project that was more than 90% complete on day one of this administration."
Biden is set to host Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 30th, in a show of support to the Ukraine.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a gas pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany through the Baltic sea, and can transfer an average of 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year.
