The Americans are new to knuckling under with a wave of a feather and still need a lot of coaching.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Germany was cooperating to mitigate effects of major pipeline from Russia after a US decision to waive sanctions drew wide criticism.
President Joe Biden’s administration last month decided not to enforce sanctions against the builder of Nord Stream 2, which will supply energy-hungry Germany, drawing praise from Moscow ahead of his summit with President Vladimir Putin on June 16.
But they are doing so in a way that will help create the illusion that the current Banana Republican administration in Washington has something to say in the matter.
Germany, U.S. hold talks in Washington on Nord Stream 2, Berlin says – Germany and the United States are holding talks in Washington to try to resolve a row over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday…
Russia’s Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and its Western partners are racing to finish the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea. The project, now about 95% complete, would bypass Ukraine, potentially depriving it of lucrative transit fees and undermining its struggle against Russian aggression.
That the Banana Republic would let Germany get away with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
US Spares Ally Germany in Sanctions for Nord Stream Pipeline – The U.S. has battled for years to block the pipeline, now 95% complete, though construction has not yet started on its German leg. The pipeline will carry natural gas from Russia to Germany, increasing Russia’s leverage as a vital energy supplier in Europe. The U.S. argues that the pipeline threatens European energy security, heightens Russia’s influence and poses risks to Ukraine and Poland in bypassing both countries.
“The Nord Stream 2 project is in line with our commitment to strengthen our Transatlantic relationships as a matter of national security.”
That would be so beautiful man but something tells me Angie Merkel might just dig in her big heels on this one. If you didn’t already know: Nobody in Europe wants this thing, folks. Nobody except Germany and Russia, so I guess it’s going to happen.
France presses Germany to ditch Nord Stream 2 over Navalny France has urged Germany to scrap a major gas pipeline project — Nord Stream 2 — with Russia. EU members are considering sanctions over the detention of Alexei Navalny and a crackdown against his supporters.
“It’s a decision for Germany, because the pipeline is in Germany.”
Nord Stream 2: Why Germany may pull plug on Russian pipeline – For the first time since building began almost a decade ago, the future of the pipeline looks threatened.
Ironically, one reason that many Germans support the pipeline is because its greatest critic is US President Donald Trump. He is disliked in Germany and his rants against the pipeline only serve to boost its popularity.
Many voters suspect he wants it scrapped in order to sell American fuel to Germany instead. Mrs Merkel has to avoid the impression that she is giving in to pressure from Mr Trump.
If you mess with Nord Stream, you mess with Heiko.
And that would spell trouble for US-Amerika. Big trouble. Or at the very least, displeasure.
Germany expresses ‘displeasure’ at US threat over Russia pipeline – German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has expressed “displeasure” to his US counterpart Mike Pompeo about Washington’s threat of sanctions against a German port over a gas pipeline from Russia.
“I mentioned it in a telephone call with (Secretary of State) Mike Pompeo yesterday and expressed my surprise and displeasure.”
Most likely, if it’s directed against US-Amerika everybody jumps on board.
Germany Weighs Measures Against U.S. Over Nord Stream Threat – The 1,200-kilometer (745 mile) pipeline under the Baltic Sea, designed to pump Russian gas directly to Germany, has triggered deep division between EU member states. But the prospect of a direct U.S. intervention in the 27-member bloc’s energy interests should prompt a collective response, said the officials, who asked not to be identified.
“The government is called upon to develop and put forward proposals for a measured, clear reaction on behalf of Germany and the European Union.”
And France is going to help the Germans score… Right?
Nord Stream 2 pipeline row highlights Germany’s energy dependence on Russia – Almost a third of the new Nord Stream gas pipeline has been laid across the Baltic Sea. There is, however, growing opposition to the pipeline — and Brussels is having difficulty figuring out how to deal with the project…
Germany is pressuring other European capitals to block an EU proposal to regulate Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline ahead of a key meeting on Friday, diplomatic sources said, but may fail to convince France, threatening the project’s construction.
Is Germany Protecting Russia’s Gazprom From Latest Anti-Trust Discovery?
German companies like BASF and Wintershall may be successful at lobbying their government to keep the new Russian pipeline going, despite opposition from Washington. Such are the worries being made behind closed doors within the state owned Central and East European (CEE) gas companies that are no fans of Russia’s Gazprom.
On April 10, someone leaked the Statement of Objections against Gazprom from the European Union’s competition authority known as the Directorate-General for Competition (DG Comp). The leaked document was a 270-page report of abuse cases filed by nearly every Gazprom partner in eastern Europe, including Poland where the news first broke last week…
As Gazprom is responsible for nearly a third of all of Germany’s foreign gas supply, and because Germany has two big companies with money on the line with Gazprom projects, some believe Brussels is ready to let Gazprom off the hook from disputes with at least five countries.
“DG Comp is said to be pressured by some high-ranking German officials to make a soft deal with Gazprom so they can start building the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline.”
Speaking of sanctions… Neither Iran nor Syria will ever have to worry about those, either. Not as long as Germany is in the picture, I mean.
Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control approved a license for a company to sell military applicable technology to Iranian companies that subsequently was used in Syrian regime chemical weapons attacks, reported the German publication Bild on Monday.
The German company Krempel, located near the southern city of Stuttgart, sold electronic press boards to Iranian companies that were used in the production of rockets.
Deutsche Bauteile in Assads Giftgas-Raketen – „Der konventionelle Gefechtskopf wurde entfernt und mit einem großen Gaszylinder ersetzt.“ Die Kennzeichnung aller Raketen verrate, dass sie „2016 produziert wurden und während des Konfliktes aus dem Iran geliefert wurden“.
