The US State Department spokesperson Ned Price, said NPR in an interview that, “The Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany will not move forward. If Russia invades Ukraine.”
Ned Price told In an interview with National Public Radio, “I want to be very clear: if Russia invades Ukraine one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward, I’m not going to get into the specifics. We will work with Germany to ensure it does not move forward.”
Price did not magnify on whether Germany had agreed to this or not.
Emily Haber, Germany’s ambassador noted on Twitter that “the US and Germany jointly declared last summer: if Russia uses energy as a weapon or if there is another violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, Russia will have to pay a high price”.
The US and Germany jointly declared last summer: if Russia uses energy as a weapon or if there is another violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, Russia will have to pay a high price.@OlafScholz and @ABaerbock stated clearly: nothing will be off the table, including Nord Stream 2.
— Andreas Michaelis (@GermanAmbUSA) January 26, 2022
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, also made this obvious.
Haber said, “Nothing will be off the table, including Nord Stream 2”. Also, the German Economic Affairs Minister Robert Habeck warned in an interview published on Saturday that “Severe consequences for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany if Moscow attacked Ukraine.”.
He also said “From a geopolitical point of view, the pipeline is a mistake,” adding: “All the countries were against it except Germany and Austria”. “The pipeline has however been built. And the question of it being put into
service remains open and must be decided according to European and German law.”
German officers are waiting for the pipeline’s Swiss-based “Nord Stream 2” operating company to present the documents to restart the verification process. Then the pipeline should also have to be approved by the European Commission.
Is Nord Stream 2 on the sanctions negotiating table?
The US, Germany, and other European countries said that Russia would pay a heavy economic price if it invades Ukraine. But pinpointing what that price should be and will it include the pipeline has been a matter of considerable debate.
Why was the pipeline project designed:-
The pipeline project was designed to double the amount of gas flowing from Russia directly to Germany, ignoring eastern and central European transit countries. Many have disparaged the project, especially because it would increase Europe’s dependency on gas from Russia.
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