The government of US President Joe Biden is coming under pressure in connection with the controversial German-Russian pipeline Nord Stream 2. The background is reports from the US news site "Axios" and the broadcaster CNN on Tuesday, according to which the US government wants to forego the application of sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG in Zug, Switzerland, and its German managing director Matthias Warnig. Republicans in the US Congress reacted indignantly. The top Republican in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, announced that if the "Axios" report were correct, it would be an indication that the Biden administration had never really wanted to prevent the pipeline.
“This pipeline is not a simple commercial project that could affect our relations with Berlin.
It is a Russian project of malicious influence that threatens to deepen Europe's energy dependence on Moscow, ”criticized McCaul.
“If the Putin regime is allowed to complete this pipeline, it will only be because the Biden government has decided to allow it.” The Republican Senator Ben Sasse accused Biden of giving Russian President Vladimir Putin “massive strategic leverage in Europe give".
Punitive measures against other Russian ships
"Axios" had previously reported that in an upcoming report to the US Congress on sanctions because of the Nord Stream 2 construction, the US State Department only wanted to impose punitive measures on a few other Russian ships. The ministry also wanted to state that Nord Stream 2 AG and its managing director were involved in activities that could be sanctioned. To justify the waiver of punitive measures, the Ministry wants to cite national interests. The report to Congress is due every 90 days, the deadline expires this week.
The almost completed Baltic Sea pipeline has been one of the main points of contention in German-American relations for years.
The government in Washington is strictly against the 1,200-kilometer pipeline, which is intended to significantly increase the potential for Russian natural gas deliveries to Germany.
Like his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden argues that Germany is becoming increasingly dependent on Russia and harming the gas transit country Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) on Tuesday.
According to his ministry, he confirmed that the US government rejects the pipeline.
In March Blinken called for the construction of the pipeline to be stopped "immediately" and otherwise threatened sanctions.
The project is also controversial within the EU.
The federal government is sticking to Nord Stream 2. In addition to the Russian company Gazprom, Uniper and Wintershall from Germany, the French company Engie, the British-Dutch company Shell and OMV from Austria are also involved as financial investors in the pipeline. The USA has already imposed sanctions on the Russian lay vessel "Fortuna" and its owner, the Russian company KVT-RUS.