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.