A nearly finished gas pipeline between Russia and Germany is a bad idea and a bad deal for Europe, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told Euronews.
Nord Stream 2 is 95% complete but critics say it provides a dangerous tool for Vladimir Putin to exert influence over the continent.
“What's important first and foremost is that Germany is one of our closest allies and partners anywhere in the world”, Blinken said in an interview with Euronews at the end of his four-day visit to Brussels.
“And the fact that we have a disagreement over Nord Stream 2 - and it's a real one - is not affecting and will not affect the overall partnership and relationship.
“But we've been very clear. President Biden has been very clear that he thinks that Nord Stream 2 is a bad idea and a bad deal for Europe, for us, for the alliance.
“It undermines basic EU principles in terms of energy security and energy independence. It poses a challenge to Ukraine, to Poland, to other countries that we care about".
Last year, the US Congress passed a law to sanction private companies involved in the construction of the project. Blinken has already warned his German counterpart Heiko Maas that sanctions are a real possibility.
