20 May 2021 - Nord Stream 2: Biden waives US sanctions on Russian pipeline
The Biden administration has waived sanctions on a company building a controversial gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.
The US also lifted sanctions on the executive - an ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin - who leads the firm behind the Nord Stream 2 project.
The move came in a report on Russian sanctions delivered to Congress by the Department of State.
Critics say the pipeline is a major geopolitical prize for the Kremlin.
The project, which would take gas from the Russian Arctic under the Baltic Sea to Germany, is already more than 95% complete.
The Department of State report notes that Nord Stream 2 AG and its chief executive, Matthias Warnig, a former East German intelligence officer, engaged in sanctionable activity.
But it concludes that it is in the US national interest to waive the sanctions.
And Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by the state-run Tass news agency as welcoming "a chance for a gradual transition toward the normalisation of our bilateral ties".
German officials also welcomed the sanctions waiver as "a constructive step" from the Biden administration.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters: "It's an expression of the fact that Germany is an important partner for the US, one that it can count on in the future."
4 Jan 2022 - Nord Stream 2 go-ahead could come in mid-2022 - Uniper CEO
5 Jan 2022 - Blinken: Nord Stream 2 pipeline is ‘leverage’ for Europe against Russia
“This pipeline does not have gas flowing through it at present and if Russia renews its aggression toward Ukraine, it would certainly be difficult to see gas flowing through it in the future,” Blinken said. “So some may see Nord Stream Two as leverage that Russia can use against Europe. In fact, it’s leverage for Europe to use against Russia.”
Germany views the pipeline as an opportunity to diversify gas imports to Europe, but came to an agreement with the Biden administration in July that Berlin would impose costs on Russia if it weaponized Nord Stream 2, or committed aggressive acts against Ukraine.
Blinken and Baerbock said they both reaffirmed commitments to the July agreement in their bilateral meeting.
The agreement that was reached in July followed President Biden waiving sanctions on the pipeline’s project company Nord Stream 2 AG, a subsidiary of the Russian-owned company Gazprom.
9 Jan 2022 - The Secretary General of Germany's ruling party urged not to mix Nord Stream 2 with politics
13 Jan 2022 - Germany's foreign minister wants to keep Nord Stream II out of the Ukraine conflict
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht warns against confusing the disagreement over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with the conflict over Ukraine.
White House opposes proposal by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, backs other bill
14 Jan 2022 - On 55-43 basis, bipartisan majority of US Senate today voted to sanction #NordStream2 AG, 100% owned by Russian state-controlled Gazprom, to deter further Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The project was and will remain primarily economic and energy, noted Steffen Kotre, member of the Bundestag Committee on Energy and Climate Affairs
"Different parties are trying, based on different motives, to mix together the importance of Europe's energy supply with geopolitical interests. This project was and will remain primarily economic and energy. Using it as a tool to achieve other political goals is wrong and jeopardizes Europe's energy supply,"
20 Jan 2022 - Blinken on Nord Stream 2 ahead of his meeting with Scholz tonight:
"Nord Stream 2 is leverage for Germany, the United States and our allies"
Under Secretary Victoria Nuland: “If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.”
"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."
6 Feb 2022 - SULLIVAN: Nord Stream 2 is leverage for us, not leverage for Vladimir Putin.
You said turn off Nord Stream 2. Nord Stream 2 hasn't been turned on. There is no gas flowing through Nord Stream 2 right now and there won't be for months, in part because of the diplomacy of the United States.
And we have been absolutely clear that if Russia invades Ukraine, one way or the other, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward. That's leverage for us that we have right now, so we intend to use that leverage and Vladimir Putin has a choice to make. If he chooses to move on Ukraine, he will not be getting the benefits of Nord Stream 2.
One of the things that President Biden has been very focused on is making sure that if Putin turns down the supply of gas to Europe, that we can find cargoes of liquefied natural gas going elsewhere in the world and redirect them to Europe. So the United States is prepared for a contingency against Russia
8 Feb 2022 - If Nord Stream 2 Dies, What Will It Cost Russia? Where Will Europe Get Its Natural Gas?
When President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared at the White House yesterday, they made clear that Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline will be left to die on the political battlefield — if Russia invades Ukraine. But what will that cost Russia, and where would Europe get its natural gas?
Moscow relies on hydrocarbons for 60% of its national budget, while oil and gas make up nearly one-third of its gross national product. It already provides about 39% of Europe’s gas.
“If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, then there will be – there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2,” Biden said during the news conference. “We will bring an end to it … I promise you we will be able to do it.”
Chancellor Scholz followed those remarks by saying that the two NATO allies stand shoulder-to-shoulder: "We're one voice, and do things together and we made it very clear if there was military aggression against Ukraine, this will entail severe consequences that we agreed upon together.”
Nord Stream 2 is a companion to Russia’s Nord Stream 1 pipeline, and it allows Russia’s Gazprom to double its natural gas capacity headed to Europe. Russia exported 168 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe in 2020. Germany bought 56 billion cubic meters of that. Italy and the Netherlands followed with 20 billion and 11 billion, respectively.
09 Feb 2022 - Biden says he'll shut down Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia further invades Ukraine
"If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2,"
Biden said. "We will bring an end to it."
Asked how the U.S. would ensure that, Biden did not offer specifics:
"I promise you: We will be able to do it." It's a point Biden administration officials have stressed in recent weeks.
23 Feb 2022 - Statement by President Biden on Nord Stream 2
CONCLUSION:
- THE USA HAS NOT PLANNED PHYSICALLY KNOCK OUT NORDSTREAM 2
- THE USA HAD A DEAL WITH GERMANY ABOUT NON-CERTIFICATION
- THERE WAS NEVER AN ISSUE WITH NORDSTREAM 1, WHICH WAS NEVER EVEN SANCTIONED
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