US: Russian attack on Ukraine will jeopardize Nord Stream 2
US officials say that Nord Stream 2 will be shut down if Russia invades Ukraine.
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Sullivan: Nord Stream 2 is "leverage for the West"
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the US will continue to deliver "defensive assistance" to Ukraine.
In a White House press briefing yesterday discussing the Biden-Putin summit, Sullivan said that the "US would be prepared to talk to Russia about strategic issues in the European theater," provided that "we are operating in a context of de-escalation rather than escalation. "
Sullivan told reporters at the briefing that the "United States supports the Minsk process, wants to see progress made towards a ceasefire, towards confidence-building measures. And that is the best way forward."
As for Iran, the US and Russian presidents discussed it as well, and Sullivan considered this to be an "area where Russia and the United States can continue to consult closely to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon."
The National Security Advisor also brought up the matter of Nord Stream 2 within the context of a Russian military invasion of Ukraine, and said that since gas is not currently flowing through the pipeline, it is actually a leverage for the West, not Russia, adding that "if Vladimir Putin wants to see gas flow through that pipeline, he may not want to take the risk of invading Ukraine."
The Putin-Biden video summit wrapped up last night, and took a full two hours.
In a statement after the summit, the White House reported that "Biden voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European allies about Russia's escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine."
