Category: Nord Stream 2

EU Court Adviser Says Nord Stream 2 Can Challenge EU Rules

BERLIN—Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 AG is entitled to challenge EU gas rules, an adviser to the EU’s top court said on Wednesday, saying that the court should annul last year’s ruling against the pipeline operator. The finding, if confirmed by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), would give Nord Stream 2, a…


US Hits Russian Entities With Sanctions over Nord Stream 2

U.S. authorities have announced sanctions on one Russian vessel and two Russians involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which the Biden administration opposes, fearing it could be exploited by Moscow to weaponize energy deliveries against European allies. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an Aug. 20 statement that a report has been submitted…


New US Energy Security Advisor to Tackle Russia’s Potential Use of ‘Energy as a Weapon’ in Europe

News Analysis U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday appointed a senior advisor for energy security whose immediate focus will be mitigation of risks posed by Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to energy security in Europe, according to a statement. Amos Hochstein, a former diplomat, was nominated a senior advisor for Energy Security…


Ukraine Fights Rearguard Action Against Nord Stream 2 After US and Germany Unveil Deal

KYIV—Ukraine has started official consultations with the European Union and Germany about Nord Stream 2, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday, ratcheting up Kyiv’s opposition to the pipeline which it says is a threat to Europe’s security. Kuleba said official notes to Brussels and Berlin had already been sent. He made the statement minutes…


US Disagrees With Germany on Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Seeing It as ‘Threat to Europe’s Energy Security’

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Washington disagrees with Germany on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, calling it a threat to Europe’s energy security, adding that both countries had agreed to ensure that Russia cannot use energy as a coercive tool against Ukraine or other states. Blinken met in Berlin…


US Disagrees With Germany on Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Sees It as ‘Threat to Europe’s Energy Security’

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington disagrees with Germany on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, calling it a threat to Europe’s energy security, while adding that both countries agreed to ensure that Russia cannot use energy as a coercive tool against Ukraine or other states. Blinken met with his German counterpart…


Biden Defends Lifting Sanctions Against Key Pipeline for Russian Gas

President Joe Biden on Tuesday defended his administration’s decision to lift sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which would carry natural gas from Russia to Germany and Europe. The president said that although he opposed the project from the beginning, the pipeline is now nearly finished. “To go ahead and impose sanctions now would,…


Biden Admin Waives Sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Company and CEO

The Biden administration has waived sanctions on the company and CEO overseeing the construction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday, saying that the decision was made in the U.S. national interest. Blinken waived the sanctions despite Congress receiving a report on the pipeline project from the…


German Man Charged With Giving Bundestag Floor Plans to Russian Intelligence

BERLIN—German federal prosecutors have charged a German citizen with espionage, saying he passed floor plans of the Bundestag parliament building to Russian intelligence. The man, identified only as Jens F., obtained PDF files with the floor plans during the course of his work for a company that was hired to maintain electrical equipment in the…


Cruz, Other Lawmakers Push Back Against Biden Admin’s Nord Stream 2 Report

The Biden administration’s silence on adding new sanctions on Russia over its Nord Stream 2 project has generated pushback from lawmakers who argue the project is a “gift” to the Kremlin, with devastating implications for U.S. national security and for the energy security of its European allies. A congressionally mandated report on the pipeline released by the…