Nord Stream 2
Russia-Ukraine Tensions Put World on Edge
Nord Stream 2 will not move forward if Russia invades Ukraine -State Dept
U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany will not move forward if Russia invades Ukraine.
"I want to be very clear: if Russia invades Ukraine one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward," Price told NPR. "I'm not going to get into the specifics. We will work with Germany to ensure it does not move forward."
Why Germany’s Ukraine Approach Differs From Western Allies’
As the United States continues to pursue diplomacy amid a Russian military buildup near Ukraine’s borders, recent developments have put NATO’s ability to present a united front in question.
On Friday, it emerged that Germany was blocking NATO ally Estonia from transferring German-origin howitzer artillery to Ukraine, while off-the-cuff remarks from Germany’s navy chief Kay-Achim Schönbach—saying that Crimea would not return to Ukraine and that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserved respect—forced his resignation over the weekend.
Why Germany might be the West's weak link in the Russia-Ukraine standoff
With Ukraine under growing threat from Russia, the United States and its NATO allies across Europe are stepping up their response.
But there is one notable country that appears to be holding back: Germany.
As Russian troops have massed on the Ukrainian border, Berlin has resisted pressure from its allies and neighbors to deliver arms to Ukraine while urging “prudence” when it comes to potential economic sanctions against Moscow.
The Worst Ally
President Joe Biden’s press conference last week was atrocious, but one of his worst missteps amounted to telling the truth about Germany, if not by name.
Biden said there’d be divisions within NATO over a “minor incursion” by Russia into Ukraine. This is true enough, and the chief cause would be a Germany that is staking a strong claim to being our worst European ally.
White House: Additional Nord Stream 2 Sanctions Won’t ‘Change the Behavior of President Putin’
President Biden waived sanctions against Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany earlier this year, and on Tuesday -- amid a Russian military buildup near Ukraine -- the Biden White House downplayed the significance of those waivers.
Some members of Congress in both parties want Biden to use the pipeline as leverage to influence Russia's behavior regarding Ukraine.