The United States and Germany has struck a deal to resolve their dispute over the Nord Stream 2 project.
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| [Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline] |
The United States and Germany has struck a deal to resolve their dispute over the Nord Stream 2 project. The gas pipeline between Russia and Germany has long been a source of contention for the United States. Despite its opposition to the project, the Biden Administration has decided to allow it to be completed without further restrictions.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which has yet to be built, has been a big thorn in the side of US-German ties. The project will add a second pipeline beneath the Baltic Sea, increasing Russia's direct gas supply to Germany.
The United States is concerned that it will give Russia too much control over European gas supply. It also regards the new pipeline as a security risk, since Russia has threatened to shut down another pipeline that supplies Ukraine and other countries. US State Department spokesman Ned Price says, " We continue to oppose Nord Stream 2. We continue to view it as a Kremlin geopolitical project whose goal is to expand Russian influence over Europe's energy resources. We continue to believe it's a bad deal or Germany, it's a bad deal for Ukraine. "
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, has long portrayed the project as a business endeavor, attempting to divert criticism from allies, but she is also keen to resolve the problem before she leaves office in the autumn. It was one of the things she and US President Joe Biden addressed last week. Biden announced after signing the deal that His position on Nord Stream 2 has been known for some time; close friends can disagree, but it was 90% done by the time he became president, and applying penalties didn't seem to make sense.
As a result, a solution has been struck, with Washington agreeing to suspend all sanctions and tolerate the new pipeline in a joint statement. In response, Germany has pledged to put penalties on Russia if it exploits the pipeline as a political tool. It also promised to use its clout to assist Russia and Ukraine prolong a gas contract. However, opponents argue that the deal does not go far enough, and Ukraine has consistently expressed its dissatisfaction.
Nord Stream 2's completion, on the other hand, is now all but guaranteed, with 98 percent of the pipeline completed and scheduled to begin operations later this year.