The dispute over the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline is escalating again. The US threatens sanctions to participating European states and companies. In late November, media reported that the United States wanted to block the construction of the German-Russian gas pipeline, which was nearing completion, by expanding sanctions threats against European partners.
The US Under Secretary of State David Hale also recently confirmed to the Senate committee that the States could impose sanctions if diplomatic efforts to “convince” European states fail. Klaus Ernst, Chairman of the Bundestag Committee on Economics and Energy, demands countermeasures.
Americans do not care about how Germany shapes its energy policy, Ernst said in an interview with the Russian news portal Sputnik. Threats by US sanctions are absolutely unacceptable. The federal government must defend itself against this. If US sanctions impede the operation of the pipeline, countermeasures need to be considered.
He suggested raising tariffs on imported American gas obtained as a result of the controversial hydraulic fracturing procedure. He also criticized support for possible US sanctions by Ukraine. If a country that receives significant political and financial support from the EU, but at the same time advocates extraterritorial sanctions by the United States that “stifle” German politics, this casts doubt on support, said Ernst, who chaired the Left Party in 2010 and 2012.