12:35, 06.02.21 Economy 482 Berlin is increasingly optimistic that the new U.S. administration will be less confrontational on Nord Stream than Donald Trump. Merkel, Macron to put aside differences on Russian gas pipeline / REUTERS German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron sought to iron out differences over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline ahead of talks with U.S. President Joe Biden on the controversial Russian project. The two leaders spoke "very openly" about the disputed gas pipeline, Merkel said on Friday after a video conference with her French counterpart, Bloomberg reported. "On this project, which is almost finished, nothing will be announced without close Franco-German coordination," Macron said. "What we want is to continue to work together on a more sovereign European energy strategy."