US, Germany reach deal on controversial pipeline Biden sees as Russian “geopolitical project”

In an attempt to prevent Russia from using the pipeline to increase Europe’s dependence on its energy supplies, Germany has agreed to take a series of measures to mitigate security risks. energy, for Ukraine and for the countries of the European Union and NATO close to Russian borders. In the past, Russia has cut off the energy supply of other countries, including Ukraine.

“Germany is really committed to taking swift action,” the senior official said on a call with reporters. “There are a number of tools available to Germany and the EU to repel Russian aggression or malicious activity.”

‘Differences’

“We may have differences over Nord Stream 2, but we are united in repelling Russian aggression,” the senior official said.

“We are not threatening our partners,” the senior State Department official said, adding that the administration has engaged Ukraine in deliberations with Germany and expects to work trilaterally with Ukraine .

Ukrainian officials immediately expressed disappointment and disapproval, with the country’s foreign minister taking to Twitter.

“Under Article 274 of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, Ukraine officially begins consultations with the European Commission and Germany on NS2, which threatens the security of Ukraine, violates the principle diversification of the European Energy Union, “wrote Dmytro Kuleba. “Notes for Brussels and Berlin already sent. “

Lawmakers have also made their dissatisfaction clear. Senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch, said in a statement that “not a single member of Congress supports the completion of this pipeline.”

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the Democrat from New Hampshire who co-wrote the legislation to stop the construction of Nord Stream 2, said the pipeline would empower Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.

“Germany is a vital ally of the United States and I welcome the steps taken by the administration to try to negotiate a diplomatic channel and consult with our European allies to mitigate the impact of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project,” said Shaheen in a statement. “However, I am not yet convinced that this agreement – or any other bilateral agreement – can provide enough reassurance to our European allies and minimize the considerable economic impact and security implications of completing this pipeline. J have long argued that Nord Stream 2 must not be completed because it allows the Kremlin to extend its evil influence throughout Eastern Europe, threatens the economic security of our European partners and endangers our global stability . I continue to believe in it. ”

The senior official said the pipeline is at this point more than 95% complete, but would not say when it could become operational, if the Biden administration would lift existing sanctions or its threat to drop the sanctions waiver it it issued in May for the company. the construction of the pipeline and its German CEO.

The senior State Department official has repeatedly pointed out that the Trump administration chose to impose only two sanctions on the pipeline and waited until the last day of its tenure to do so. The Biden administration applied 19 sanctions to entities and vessels linked to the pipeline.

“Even after Congress passed bipartisan legislation … in 2017 and 2019, the previous administration only applied pipeline-related sanctions on his last day in office,” the senior official said. . “The previous administration could have used a number of sanctions tools… but it chose not to.”

This story has been updated with comments from President Joe Biden.