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The new US administration is equally vehement against the construction of the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which is a roadblock in the Washington-Berlin relationship. In a recent statement, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that “the sanctions recently imposed by the United States are not right,” according to Politico.
The United States position was clarified by Antony Blinken, the person appointed by Joe Biden to act as secretary of state. Blinken said he was “determined” to do everything possible to prevent the completion of the North Stream 2 project, which would connect Russian gas to the European market through a pipeline linking Russia to Germany.
“President Biden will ask us to use all persuasive tools to persuade our friends and partners, including Germany, not to go ahead with this project,” said Antony Blinken.
His position is a continuation of Donald Trump’s term policy on the North Stream 2 project. On the last day of his term, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the Russian ship that completes the last sections of the pipeline, of which about 100 still remain. are about to end. Build Kilometers.
The sanctions were not well received by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “I consider that these extraterritorial sanctions are a measure that is not right from my point of view,” he said.
The German chancellor also considers that “there will be different opinions with the Biden administration.” “Don’t think that from tomorrow there will only be one agreement; there will be different opinions, ”says Merkel.
When asked at a press conference in Berlin whether the arrest and imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as the expected review of EU-US relations under the new president, had an impact on his opinion. On Nord Stream 2, Merkel said: “My attitude to the basics has not yet changed to the point where I say the project should not exist.”
Merkel signaled her willingness to discuss the issue with Washington, but said “there should be no trade relations between the United States and Russia in the oil sector, for example. We need to put all these issues on the table and discuss whether we want less trade with Russia in the gas sector, what level of dependency is tolerable. “
European Parliament calls for work on Nord Stream 2 to stop in response to Navalny’s arrest
The German government has long argued that the 1,200-kilometer pipeline linking Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea is a commercial project, while skeptics in the United States and much of Central Europe see it as a geopolitical weapon of the Kremlin.
The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution calling on the EU to halt the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in response to the arrest of Russian opponent Aleksei Navalny.
MEPs call on the EU to “immediately stop” the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, while stressing that the EU should no longer receive the open arms of Russians enriched by unclear sources.
In view of the new administration in Washington, Parliament emphasizes that the EU must take advantage of this dynamic to strengthen transatlantic unity to protect democracy and fundamental values against authoritarian regimes.
Work on North Stream 2 resumed last month
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is an investment of $ 11 billion, half financed by Gazprom and half by five European companies (OMV, Wintershall, Engie, Uniper and Shell). Nord Stream 2 will double the transport capacity of Nord Stream 1 to 110 billion cubic meters per year, so that more Russian natural gas will reach Germany directly through the Baltic Sea without passing through Ukraine.
Despite the 1,230-kilometer pipeline being almost completed, the project came to an abrupt halt in December 2019, following the United States’ decision to sanction the companies involved in this project. Work resumed last month and Gazprom expects to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea to double the capacity of the existing line. The project is 90% complete with only a 100 km section in the deep water off Denmark remaining to be completed.
