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The U.S. government and Congress have clear reservations about energy security and the geopolitical impact of the Nord Stream 2, the diplomat said.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is not an economic project, but rather an alternative route for transporting Russian gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine, according to U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell.
"The problem with Nord Stream 2 is that it is not an economic project. It was developed for one reason only: to create an alternative route for transporting Russian gas on its way to Europe that does not pass through Ukraine," Rheinische Post cited the Ambassador as saying in an interview published in German.
Speaking with RP, the diplomat noted that the question is whether European governments want to become more dependent on a country that uses chemical weapons to kill a political opponent in Europe and that has invaded a sovereign state and illegally annexed its territory.
On Jan 13, 2019, came the reports saying Ambassador Grenell had informed the German companies contributing to the Nord Stream 2 project that they were facing risks to fall under U.S. sanctions.
Commenting on the issue, the diplomat said that the content of these letters was no different from statements U.S. authorities made earlier: companies working in the field of Russian energy-export sector risk possible sanctions.
The U.S. government and Congress have clear reservations about energy security and the geopolitical impact of the Nord Stream 2, the diplomat said.
Read alsoNord Stream 2 kills Ukraine – Poland's Foreign Minister
He recalled that Putin had said clearly that he wanted to halt Russian gas transit via Ukraine, and that the two projects that will enable him to do so are Nord Stream 2 and Turk Stream 2.
Together, these two projects make the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine virtually superfluous, according to the Ambassador.
The diplomat notes that danger that Russia may once again decide to use energy as a weapon against Europe or to pursue with some other type of destructive behavior.
While it is unlikely that Germany will become the target of such measures, Ambassador Grenell believes Germany's eastern neighbors may be affected.
Here, "European unity is at stake," he said.