Germany says it is working on a Nord Stream 2 deal with the US by Reuters

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany said on Sunday it was working closely with the United States to establish an agreement on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which passes through the Baltic Sea and carries gas from Russia to Germany.

The German Foreign Ministry said it continues to work closely with the U.S. administration to implement a joint declaration on the $ 11 billion pipeline.

The Biden administration lifted sanctions against the pipeline operator and reached an agreement with Germany in July, although last week it imposed further sanctions on Russia-linked Transadria Ltd and its ship.

“We fundamentally reject allied sanctions,” Reuters said in response to questions about an Axios report that Berlin had asked members of the U.S. Congress not to penalize the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would “weaken” the U.S.. credibility and “ultimately damaging the transatlantic unity”.

The United States and some European countries are against the pipeline that bypasses Ukraine.

They say that Europe would become too dependent on Russian gas, but other European governments say that this link is essential to ensure energy supply.

Germany has agreed to take action if Russia uses energy as a weapon in its relations with Ukraine, but the agreement does not provide specific criteria for judging that.

The Axios news website cited a November 19 document outlining steps Germany would take, including “strong public messages” to condemn Russia’s behavior and assess the suspension of political meetings.

At EU level, the document said Germany was “actively involved in the process of identifying options for additional restrictive measures,” Axios said.

The document also said Nord Stream 2 “did not pose a threat to Ukraine while ensuring fair gas transportation,” and mentioned that the potential sanctions for the pipeline were “a victory for Putin,” who would split with Western allies, Axios added.