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He makes the promise after his meeting with German Chancellor Scholz, who without specifically talking about the gas pipeline promises “unity and joint action”
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, assured this Monday that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline planned by Russia and Germany to bring Russian natural gas to Europe will be paralyzed if Moscow invades Ukraine. “If Russia invades, with tanks and troops crossing the Ukraine border again, there will be no Nord Stream 2, we will put an end to it”, the US president stated emphatically at a press conference offered together with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with whom he has met at the White House.
Biden’s forcefulness has contrasted with that of the german leader, which despite promising that Washington and Berlin are “acting together” and “absolutely united & rdquor; and they will take “all the necessary steps & rdquor; in the preparation of a response and sanctions before the potential invasion has followed without specifically referring to the possible end of the energy project in case of that aggression, even though up to three journalists have asked him specifically about the Nord Stream 2.
Scholz has only said that there would be “serious consequences that we have agreed to, important sanctions that we have worked on together, and Russia would pay a high price & rdquor ;, messages similar to those that he has previously repeated. And Biden has also been unable to give any more concrete indications of Scholz’s commitment to the pipeline. “I promise that we will be able to do it & rdquor ;, he said Biden, that last year it paralyzed the sanctions related to the gas pipeline but he sees it as a pressure tool that Moscow is using against Ukraine and other allies.
Criticism of Berlin in Washington
The divergence has done little to dispel doubts about Germany’s final position, questions that have been triggered by Germany’s reluctance to fully align with NATO allies in outlining the consequences of an invasion of Ukraine and that in recent weeks have contributed to intensifying criticism also in the US, especially but not only from the Republican ranks. Even the German ambassador in Washington Emily Haber sent a memorandum to Berlin last week warning of the “Immense” hurt who was suffering from reputation of the country as “a partner you can trust & rdquor ;.
Biden, in any case, has taken pains to underline the total coordination with Scholz. “There is no doubt in the US that Germany is an incredibly reliable ally&rdquor ;, the president said when the criticisms were raised. “There is no need to regain trust & rdquor;. “If Russia takes the option of invading more Ukraine, we are ready together and NATO is ready, we agree that things cannot continue the same if Russia invades & rdquor ;, the Democrat declared at another time.
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The position of scholz He has explained it himself to the press: staying on a two-way road in which there are “clear announcements referring to sanctions that will be applied if there is a military aggression & rdquor; but also, “and at the same time, keep all dialog formats open”. That is, as the Social Democrat has said, “the most promising strategy that you can have & rdquor ;.
The chancellor, who never put foreign policy at the top of his agenda, has run into this international crisis as soon as he arrived as Angela Merkel’s replacement. His trip to Washington on Monday will be followed in the coming days by meetings with Emmanuel Macron and the Polish president and next week he will travel to Ukraine and Russia, specifically on the 14th to Kiev and on the 15th to Moscow.