The US State Department insisted on imposing sanctions restrictions against Nord Stream-2 AG, which is implementing the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project, but White House head Joe Biden rejected these demands, fearing to spoil relations with Germany, writes The Washington Post.
According to the sources of the publication, State Secretary Anthony Blinken, his first deputy Wendy Sherman and his deputy for political affairs Victoria Nuland proposed to introduce tough sanctions against Nord Stream-2 AG. They insisted on a complete blocking of the construction of the Russian gas pipeline, including sanctions against Nord Stream-2 AG and its leader.
However, Biden and his high-ranking aides did not agree with the State Department’s position. They stated that such a step would lead to a serious deterioration in relations with Germany. The Washington Post notes that the construction of the pipeline was more than 90% complete, so the White House viewed Nord Stream-2 as a fait accompli, which should not jeopardize relations between Washington and Berlin.
Nord Stream-2 envisages the construction of two directions of a pipeline with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the shores of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. Washington has repeatedly opposed the construction of Nord Stream-2, as it wants to supply its own liquefied gas to European countries.