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Nord Stream 2: USA and Germany apparently before an agreement in the pipeline dispute

2021-07-20T23:29:01.203Z


According to a US report, the dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has been settled. Accordingly, Berlin and Washington agreed on a four-point compromise.


Enlarge image

Work on the pipeline in the Baltic Sea off Rügen (archive image)

Photo: Bernd Wüstneck / DPA

In the dispute over the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline, the US is about to reach an agreement with Germany.

"We don't have final details to announce yet, but I think I'll be able to say more soon," said State Department spokesman Ned Price.

"The Germans have made useful suggestions," he said, referring to Chancellor Angela Merkel's (CDU) visit to US President Joe Biden in the White House last week.

The Wall Street Journal was much more specific.

According to the US newspaper, the agreement has been reached and could be announced on Wednesday.

In doing so, it refers to official representatives from Germany and the USA.

Nord Stream 2 is supposed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany.

The now almost completed pipeline has been causing tension both within Europe and between Berlin and Washington for years.

According to the newspaper, the compromise that has now been reached comprises, according to the newspaper, an investment of millions from the USA and Germany in renewable energies in Ukraine.

It is therefore also planned that Germany and the USA will work to ensure that Ukraine continues to receive fees in the billions from Russia.

These have so far been incurred for gas transport and are only guaranteed until 2024.

With the new pipeline, Russia can avoid Ukraine as a transit country.

The USA reserves the right to sanctions

According to the report, Germany should also work to ensure that energy issues are promoted in the “Three Seas Initiative”.

Twelve Eastern and Central European countries have come together in the alliance.

The US reserves the right to impose sanctions should Russia use energy supplies as leverage.

Even more cautious tones are currently coming from the White House - but a denial sounds clearly different.

They had come closer to the common goal to "prevent Russia from using energy flows as a weapon," said spokesman Price.

Chancellor confirmed differences with Biden

Merkel had admitted differences with President Biden during her visit to Washington.

However, both agreed that Ukraine must remain a transit country for Russian natural gas - even after Nord Stream 2 went into operation.

Biden was extremely critical of the project right up to the end.

The USA fears that Europe will become more dependent on Russian gas and that it will suffer economic damage to the traditional transit countries for Russian gas, especially Ukraine.

Nevertheless, after taking office in January, Biden positioned himself against imposing sanctions on the companies involved in Nord Stream 2.

“When I became president, the pipeline was 95 percent complete.

Sanctions made no sense there, ”he justified the move last week.

Instead, he decided to work with Germany.

jok / AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-07-20

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