The proposed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline would leave Germany “totally controlled by Russia,” US President Donald J. Trump warned during a July 11 breakfast with European leaders at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Brussels.
“You tell me if that’s appropriate, because I think it’s not. It’s a very bad thing for NATO, and I don’t think it should have happened. I think we have to talk to Germany about it,” he said in remarks captured by ABC News.
Critics challenged Trump’s assertion that the proposed pipeline, which would run beneath the Baltic Sea alongside one which is operating already, would leave Germany importing 60-70% of its energy from Russia. But his statement confirmed that his administration does not want to see heavy reliance on Russian gas grow further in some parts of Europe.
Sandra Oudkirk, deputy assistant secretary for energy diplomacy at the US Department of State, previously confirmed that the Trump administration has received several requests to sanction the proposed Gazprom-sponsored 746-mile pipeline (OGJ Online, June 26, 2018).
“But we believe there are still significant tools within the [European Union] which can be used and should be considered,” she continued. “I think people ask for US sanctions because they think Nord Stream 2 is a done deal. It’s not. There are still levers available to the EU.”
Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel soon after his breakfast statement on July 11, but the two leaders did not mention Nord Stream 2 during a joint appearance with reporters afterward.
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