President Joe Biden insists that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will not be allowed to operate and pump gas to Germany if Russia decides to invade Ukraine.
During a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Biden said, āIf Russia invades ā that means tanks or troops crossing ā there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.ā
That prompted a reporter to ask, āHow will you do that, exactly? Since the project and control of the project is within Germanyās control?ā
āI promise you weāll be able to do it,ā Biden responded.
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The Nord Stream 2 pipeline will run gas from Russia straight to Germany, but it is currently awaiting approval before it can start pumping gas to Germany.
As the BBC notes, āThe US fears the pipeline makes Europe much more dependent on Russian energy, handing significant power over Berlin and the EU to Russian President Vladimir Putin.ā
Russia currently has roughly 130,000 troops on Ukraineās border, and there are concerns it is planning on invading the Eastern European nation.
Officials believe that sanctioning the pipeline and preventing it from operating would be a blow to Russiaās revenues, and they argue the threat of stopping it from operating is a significant piece of leverage to deter an invasion.
However, there is also concern that sanctioning the pipeline could lead Russia to retaliate with a measure such as shutting off gas pipelines to European nations.