Page 4 - FSUOGM Week 21 2021

FSUOGM COMMENTARY FSUOGM

Biden opts against further Nord

Stream 2 pressure

The US has opposed Nord Stream 2 since its inception in 2015, but relations

with Germany are now the priority

US THE US has confirmed it will not impose sanc- remained nevertheless opposed to Nord Stream
tions on the Russian company developing the 2, arguing that it undermines European energy
WHAT: Nord Stream 2 pipeline – a decision that has security.
Biden's administration been welcomed by both Germany and Russia. “Our opposition to the Nord Stream 2 pipe-
has opted against piling The US government has instead said it will line is unwavering,” Blinken said. “Though
more pressure on the instead maintain its sanctions on the Russian we may not always agree, our alliances remain
Nord Stream 2 project. pipelaying vessels that are building the pipe- strong, and our position is in line with our com-
line, which is now more than 95% complete. mitment to strengthen our transatlantic relation-
WHY: While Washington has stressed that it remains ships as a matter of national security.”
The US is eager to mend opposed to Nord Stream 2, the move to waive German Chancellor Angela Merkel mean-
ties with Germany, an further sanctions is a recognition that continued while welcomed the move.
ardent supporter of the efforts to thwart the project are futile. The Biden “Of course President Biden has moved a bit
pipeline. administration’s priority now is improving rela- into our direction in the context of the Nord
tions with Berlin, an ardent supporter of Nord Stream 2 conflict,” she told public broadcaster
WHAT NEXT: Stream 2. WDR on May 20, while stressing there was still
Biden and Putin are due The president might also want to remove a some disagreement between the two nations.
to hold a summit this major point of contention between the US and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mean-
summer. Russia ahead of a proposed face-to-face meeting while described the US decision as “definitely a
with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this positive signal.”
summer, in the hope that progress can be made
on other fronts, such as Ukraine and cyber-se- A difficult birth
curity. The US and other Western powers have The US has opposed Nord Stream 2 since its
signalled their alarm at the build-up in Russian conception in 2015. It has argued that the pro-
military forces near the border with Ukraine in ject, which will pump up to 55bn cubic metres
recent months. per year of Siberian gas to north Germany, will
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken jeopardise European energy security, and strip
stressed on May 19 that the US government Ukraine of billions of dollars of revenues from

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 21 26•May•2021