The U.S. imposed sanctions on a ship involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as the Biden administration looks to exert more pressure on Russia without antagonizing Germany.
like to be able to halt the pipeline construction? of course, you bet. but that wasn t a realistic option. and so the biden administration cut a deal with germany, essentially allowing russia to complete the nord stream 2 gas pipeline in exchange for energy security projects in eastern europe. now overseeing that agreementian outspoken opponent of the pipeline and an official who has warned for years about these russian energy projects. we cannot have a dependence of a reasoning or a country on a neighbor for its most basic needs. he served in the obama state department as an energy envoy and then on the supervisory board of ukraine s state owned gas company. one congressional aide tells fox the appointment of a strong i m pipeline opponent to oversee a deal allowing its construction is an attempt to soften an agreement congressional republicans and democrats have criticized.
committed to take steps including sanctions to prevent that from happening. so, why is the us involved in whether or not a gas pipeline in europe goes ahead? the bbc s david willis explains. the last three american administrations have all expressed their dislike of the nord stream 2 gas pipeline. they believe it potentially gives russia too much leverage, too much control over european energy supply, for the simple reason that it will take gas directly from russia to germany, bypassing ukraine and poland. well, now, in an act of pragmatism, i think you could say, president biden has said that he is willing to waive sanctions that have been imposed on the people, on the german company constructing this pipeline, because it s virtually built. 98% of it has already been