US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Europe can view Nord Stream 2 as a lever to influence Moscow’s policy. His words are quoted on January 5 by the press service of the American Foreign Ministry.
Nord Stream 2 is a lever that the European Union can use in relation to Russia, ”Blinken said following a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock.
According to him, in the event of “renewed Russian aggression against Ukraine,” gas will hardly flow through this pipeline.
Berbock, in turn, recalled that Washington and Berlin had agreed on the use of effective measures in the event that Moscow uses energy supplies as a “weapon”.
“We do not just fully support this, but it fully extends to the new federal government,” said the head of the German Foreign Ministry.
Earlier on Wednesday, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Bundestag member Jürgen Hardt said there were serious differences in the German government over the launch of the Nord Stream 2 (JV-2) gas pipeline.
On December 22, Berbock, who had previously repeatedly opposed the pipeline, said that she and Chancellor Olaf Scholz had developed a common position on the launch of SP-2, which is that the certification process should be based on European legislation.
In recent weeks, a number of Western media outlets have reported about the alleged plans of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine. So, on December 4, the American newspaper The Washington Post, citing officials in the US administration, reported that Russia allegedly intends to invade Ukraine at the beginning of next year, using “up to 175 thousand troops.” Moscow has repeatedly rejected such information.
The construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was completed on September 10. It was built from Russia to Germany along the Baltic seabed with the aim of direct gas supplies to Europe. The EU countries mainly support the project and participate in its implementation. The Baltic states, Poland, the USA and Ukraine are opposed.
On November 16, the German regulator suspended the certification of Nord Stream 2 AG as an independent operator of SP-2. The procedure can be continued when a subsidiary company for the German part of the pipeline is created in Germany.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
