Russia’s opponents in Central and Eastern Europe are concerned that President Biden is not willing to fight hard to stop the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 2 pipeline – one of Vladimir Putin’s top priorities.
Why it matters: The fight is the first significant test of whether Biden’s harsh rhetoric against the Russian leader will be accompanied by action. Russian opponents fear that Biden does not want to harass Angela Merkel and will not inflict serious costs on the Germans.
The big picture: The completion of Nord Stream 2 would be a major geopolitical victory for Putin and give him a significant new advantage in Europe. Russia has cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine in retaliation for disputes.
- Bypassing Ukraine with a direct pipeline to Germany helps Russia advance its goal of isolating its former client state, now a struggling democracy, from Western Europe.
- Russian gas currently has to pass through Ukraine en route to Europe.
- The pipeline is over 90% completed and could be completed by summer, without major intervention to interrupt it.
Driving the news: So far, messages of concern have been sent to Americans in particular. But on Monday, a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios: “Ukrainians are a little disappointed that President Biden did not commit during the [Security] Conference to use all the tools at your fingertips to stop Nord Stream 2. ”
- “But it is not too late,” added the source close to Zelensky, “for the United States to take decisive action, and Ukrainians are hopeful that the Biden government will do so.”
Comments follow a rare joint public statement Monday by the Polish and Ukrainian governments.
- Polish and Ukrainian chancellors co-authored an article in Politico Europe urging Biden to follow the example of the United States Congress and do everything in his power to block the pipeline.
- “We call on the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to use all means at his disposal to prevent the project from being completed,” wrote the ministers.
- State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement: “The Biden government is committed to using all available tools to contain Russia’s evil influence and support transatlantic energy security goals.”
- Price added: “We have been clear that companies are at risk of sanctions if they are involved in the Nord Stream 2 project. We continue to examine the entities involved in potentially sanctionable activities.”
Behind the scenes: On Friday, the State Department submitted a mandatory report to Congress that should list all vessels involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2, as well as any insurers or other companies involved in the pipeline.
- The report did not mention any new companies that would be subject to American sanctions, according to the Wall Street Journal and confirmed to Axios by a source who read the report, which was not made public.
Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned the report as weak and incomplete.
- “The maritime tracking information makes it clear that ships not included in today’s report are currently active in supporting the construction of Nord Stream 2,” said Risch in a statement. He demanded an “immediate explanation” from the Biden government.
- Senator Jeanne Shaheen (DN.H.) also said that the Biden administration must do more to stop the pipeline and that she hoped to be informed of “additional measures”.
Between the lines: America’s partners in Central and Eastern Europe want Biden to make it clear that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to prevent the pipeline from being completed.
- This would include sanctioning the entire construction fleet and signaling a willingness to sanction German utility companies that would receive Russian energy.
- President Trump even made commercial threats to Merkel as part of his hard-line tactics to stop Nord Stream 2.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also paved the way for a wider range of sanctions, saying last summer that it was sounding “a clear warning to companies that help and support Russia’s evil influence projects, which will not be tolerated … . Get out now, or risk the consequences. ”
- Construction of Nord Stream 2 was halted during Trump’s presidency.
While the Biden team said the pipeline is a “bad deal” and that they want to stop it, the government has done little so far to suggest that it is willing to lean towards the fight.
- The Russians seem to have noticed. The main construction on Nord Stream 2 was resumed after Biden took office.