The Biden administration suggested Tuesday that the recently-completed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline could be used as “leverage” against Russia if it decides to launch an invasion of Ukraine.
“When it comes to Nord Stream 2, the fact is the gas is not currently flowing through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which means that it’s not operating, which means that it’s not leveraged for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House.
“It is leverage for the West,” Sullivan insisted. “If Vladimir Putin wants to see gas flow through that pipeline, he may not want to take the risk of invading Ukraine.”
Sullivan spoke about three hours after President Biden wrapped up a video call with Putin amid heightened tensions over a Russian military buildup on its western border with Ukraine.
Earlier Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the White House is pressing Germany’s incoming government to call a halt to the project if Russia goes ahead with military action.
Construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which connects Russia with Germany and bypasses Ukraine by running under the Baltic Sea, was completed in September. However, German and European regulators have not yet given it the go-ahead to start operating.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the pipeline as a powerful geopolitical weapon for Russia. The governments in Berlin and Moscow have insisted it is a purely commercial endeavor.
In July, Biden and outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached a deal to allow the completion of Nord Stream 2 without any sanctions on German entities involved in its construction. As part of the deal, Germany also promised to reimburse Kiev for lost gas transit fees until 2024, with a possible 10-year extension.
According to Bloomberg, the Biden administration believes language in the July agreement should allow Germany to stop the flow of gas through the pipeline if Putin invades Ukraine.
In a statement announcing the July deal, the US and Germany promised to “hold Russia to account for its aggression and malign activities by imposing costs via sanctions and other tools.” Republican lawmakers were less convinced, with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) accusing the Biden administration of “pathetic appeasement” of Putin.
“We’ve had intensive discussions with both the outgoing and incoming German government on Nord Stream 2 in the context of a potential invasion.” Sullivan said Tuesday. “I’m not going to characterize it beyond that other than it is an object of great priority for the Biden administration.”
Germany’s Chancellor-in-waiting, Olaf Scholz, would not give a definite answer when asked during a Tuesday press conference whether his government would shut off the pipeline if Ukraine was invaded.
Scholz vowed to watch developments in the region closely, and said his government would continue to ensure Ukraine remains a gas transit country.
Incoming Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck acknowledged the pipeline’s review process may be affected by developments in Ukraine, but declined to elaborate.
US intelligence officials have determined that Russia has massed approximately 70,000 troops near the Ukraine border and has made preparations for a possible invasion as soon as early next year.
With Post wires
