On July 15, 2021, US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hold a joint press conference in the White House’s East Room in Washington, D.C. Tom Brenner/Reuters (Reuters) – WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) – During a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House on Thursday, US President Joe Biden underlined his worries over Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. Russia is rushing to complete a pipeline that will transport gas to Germany while bypassing Ukraine and depriving it of important transit fees, thereby jeopardizing Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. Merkel and Biden are “totally unified in our opinion that Russia must not be permitted to use energy as a weapon to intimidate or threaten its neighbors,” Biden told reporters. Germany wants the gas from the pipeline, which would treble Russia’s capacity for delivering the fuel beneath the Baltic Sea while also being cheaper than liquefied natural gas imports from the US and other countries. The pipeline, according to Biden, is a horrible deal for Europe. Biden’s administration sanctioned Nord Stream 2 AG, the project’s parent business, and its CEO in May. But, as Washington strives to rebuild relations with Berlin after four years of Trump’s presidency, he quickly relaxed the sanctions. Merkel told reporters that Germany, Europe’s largest economy, viewed the pipeline differently than the US. However, she stated that Berlin regards Ukraine as a transit country, implying that natural gas should continue to flow through Ukraine even after the pipeline is completed. If Russia does not act satisfactorily on Ukraine, Merkel warned Europe has a “number of instruments” at its disposal, including sanctions. The $11 billion pipeline will be operational later this year, according to Russia. It will be led by Russian state energy company Gazprom and its Western partners. Both leaders, according to Biden, have directed their teams to look into measures the countries can do together if Russia’s actions weaken Europe’s energy security. The two governments decided to work together to speed up efforts to address the emerging economies’ climate issue, promising to mobilize investment in Central and Eastern Europe. Investments aimed at helping Ukraine’s energy transformation, energy efficiency, and energy security were singled out in a joint statement. The measure could play a role in a final agreement to avert the danger of US sanctions over Nord Stream 2, which is expected before August. Jeff Mason and Timothy Gardner contributed reporting, and Chris Reese, Peter Cooney, and Sandra Maler edited the piece. The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles are our standards./n
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