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Scholz meets Biden: disagreement over the role of Nord Stream 2 in the Ukraine conflict

2022-02-08T09:16:10.543Z


Scholz meets Biden: disagreement over the role of Nord Stream 2 in the Ukraine conflict Created: 02/08/2022Updated: 02/08/2022 09:05 By: Lukas Zigo, Stefan Krieger In Washington, Olaf Scholz and Joe Biden emphasize their willingness to stand by Ukraine against Russia. Nord Stream 2 is at the center of the sanctions debate. US President Joe Biden * receives Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz * (SPD


Scholz meets Biden: disagreement over the role of Nord Stream 2 in the Ukraine conflict

Created: 02/08/2022Updated: 02/08/2022 09:05

By: Lukas Zigo, Stefan Krieger

In Washington, Olaf Scholz and Joe Biden emphasize their willingness to stand by Ukraine against Russia.

Nord Stream 2 is at the center of the sanctions debate.

  • US President Joe Biden

    *

    receives Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz

    *

    (SPD

    *

    ) for his inaugural visit to Washington DC

  • The US

    *

    criticizes the decision against arms deliveries to Ukraine

    *.

  • Sanctions against Russia

    *

    are discussed, Nord Stream 2 is the main topic

    *.

Update from Tuesday, February 8th, 2022, 6.45 a.m .:

“We will put an end to this”: US President Joe Biden has in clear words threatened Russia with an end to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in the event of an invasion of Ukraine.

The message was not only aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin - but also at Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who was standing right next to Biden in the White House.

He repeatedly emphasized that the West would impose tough sanctions on Moscow in the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine.

However, at least publicly, he did not allow himself to be nailed down to an end for Nord Stream 2.

Scholz described the pipeline as a purely "private-sector project" in December, but then indicated that he was moving away from this attitude.

To date, however, the Chancellor has not explicitly said that a Russian attack on Ukraine would lead to the end of Nord Stream 2.

He justifies this by saying that "strategic ambiguity" is necessary when dealing with Russia: the government in Moscow should not know what price it would have to pay for an invasion of Ukraine, as that would increase deterrence.

At the press conference with Biden, Scholz did not even name the pipeline.

On the other hand, Biden said quite unequivocally: If Russian “tanks and soldiers cross the border with Ukraine again, then there will be no more Nord Stream 2”.

However, the President left it open how he intends to implement this, after all, it is not the USA that decides on the German-Russian project.

"I promise you we will be able to do that," Biden said.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD, r) and US President Joe Biden discuss the Ukraine conflict.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Olaf Scholz meets Joe Biden: US President warns Russia of "gigantic mistake"

+++ 10:15 p.m .:

At a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), US President Joe Biden warned Moscow that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would mean the end of the controversial Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.

Biden said on Monday (07.02.2022) at a joint press conference with Scholz in the White House that he "promised" that.

Scholz does not say this so clearly, but emphasized that Germany and the USA would "act completely consensually" in the event of sanctions. 

According to Biden, an invasion of Ukraine would also be a “gigantic mistake” for Russia.

If President Vladimir Putin ordered such a move, Russia would "pay a heavy price," Biden said at the press conference.

"I think he has to realize that it would be a gigantic mistake for him to go against Ukraine," Biden said.

"The impact on Europe and the rest of the world would be devastating," Biden warned.

The President stressed that it was still unclear whether Putin actually intended to attack Ukraine. 

+++ 10:05 p.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz sees a “serious threat to security in Europe” in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

A joint response from the alliance partners - USA, Europe, NATO - is important, Scholz said on Monday after the meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington.

It is clear: "If there is military aggression against Ukraine, then there will be tough, commonly agreed and far-reaching sanctions.

It will have very, very high costs for Russia to take such a step.” In his view, this message had also reached Russia.

They worked intensively together to ensure that sanctions could also be set.

We are prepared to act immediately, quickly and together.

At the same time, all diplomatic opportunities should be used.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets US President Joe Biden.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Prevent "Russian aggression".

+++ 8.40 p.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and US President Joe Biden confirmed their willingness to work closely together in the Ukraine crisis at a meeting in Washington.

"Germany is one of America's closest allies," Biden said Monday in the Oval Office of the White House.

Both countries would work "in lockstep" to prevent "Russian aggression in Europe."

During his first visit to Washington, Scholz also emphasized the close cooperation between the two governments.

"We are the closest allies and work closely together," said the Chancellor at Biden's side in English.

"This is necessary in order to take the necessary steps to prevent Russian aggression against Ukraine. That is why this is an important meeting at a very, very important time."


+++ 6.25 p.m .:

Before his inaugural visit to US President Joe Biden, Chancellor Olaf Scholz tried to send a signal of unity in the transatlantic relationship.

"We are close allies and are acting in a very coordinated and unified manner when it comes to overcoming the current crises," said Scholz in Washington on Monday before a meeting with Biden.

"And that's why it's important that Germany, the USA, NATO and the European Union have all been arguing in the same direction for a long time," he emphasized, referring to the Ukraine crisis.

"It will have a very high price if Ukraine is attacked militarily." The details of this have been discussed and prepared for a long time so that, in case of doubt, action can be taken quickly, decisively and unanimously.

Olaf Scholz meets Joe Biden: US government with clear words

+++ 12.30 p.m .:

Before the meeting of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) with US President Joe Biden, the US government denied disagreements regarding the Ukraine crisis.

"We are all working together to address different parts of the same problem," a US official said Monday, referring to the West's approach to Russia.

Germany is "the second largest donor to Ukraine after the USA." In addition, the federal government supported the USA in its actions.

"We are in very close contact with our German partners," emphasized the US government representative.

"We absolutely agree that if there is further Russian aggression, there are a number of things that need to be done." These include sending more troops to Eastern Europe and imposing a "major package of economic sanctions" on Russia.

Olaf Scholz meets Joe Biden: Chancellor wants to respond to allegations in the Ukraine conflict

First report from Monday, February 7th, 2022, 10.45 a.m.:

Washington DC – The new Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has arrived in the USA for his inaugural visit.

On Sunday evening (February 6th, 2022 / local time), Scholz landed at the airport in the US capital Washington DC, as the German embassy confirmed.

Ukraine is the central theme of the visit.

From the ranks of the Union, foreign politicians called on von Scholz to meet US President Joe Biden in key demands.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) speaks to journalists traveling with him in the Airbus A340 of the Luftwaffe on the way to Washington.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen

*

told the newspaper Welt that Scholz could and must justify "what is the point of Germany not supplying weapons to Ukraine".

The chancellor "should not avoid stating clearly that Russian aggression means the end of Nord Stream 2 for the time being".

Ukraine conflict: Olaf Scholz visits Joe Biden

Scholz has already denied on ARD that the US government is dissatisfied with his government's actions in the Ukraine crisis: "That's a wrong impression, which isn't prevalent in Washington either."

Scholz also countered the accusation that the federal government was an unreliable ally in the US newspaper Washington Post.

"Reality is more important than rumours," said the Chancellor.

"The reality is that Germany is the largest NATO partner in continental Europe, that we are continuously strengthening our armed forces, that we are a very good partner."

Scholz and Biden in Washington – Nord Stream 2 is discussed again

When asked whether the federal government would put the Nord Stream 2 pipeline on hold if Russia invaded Ukraine, Scholz again simply said that "all options were on the table".

However, he did not want to elaborate on this.

A “strategic ambiguity” is necessary so that Russia cannot calculate exactly what price it would have to pay if it were to invade.

Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden's national security adviser, told NBC on Sunday morning that if Russia attacks Ukraine, "Nord Stream 2 will not go ahead".

"And Russia understands that." Sullivan declined to provide any further details on the talks with the federal government on this subject.

Nord Stream 2 has already been completed but is not yet operational.

Olaf Scholz meets Joe Biden in the White House today

Chancellor Scholz will be received by US President Joe Biden in the White House on Monday (07.02.2022/7.30 p.m. CET).

Scholz and Biden are to hold a joint press conference after the talks.

(lz/AFP)

*fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-02-08

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