Biden plans to waive sanctions on the Russian-owned company in charge of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline

[Yorkie Mom]

I really hope Axios got this wrong or it's just a trial balloon. Dems are supposed to be tough on Russia. Even Trump opposed this.

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Scoop: Biden to waive sanctions on company in charge of Nord Stream 2

The Biden administration will waive sanctions on the corporate entity and CEO overseeing the construction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline into Germany, according to two sources briefed on the decision.

Why it matters: The decision indicates the Biden administration is not willing to compromise its relationship with Germany over this pipeline, and it underscores the difficulties President Biden faces in matching actions to rhetoric on a tougher approach to Russia.

Driving the news: The State Department will imminently send its mandatory 90-day report to Congress listing entities involved in Nord Stream 2 that deserve sanctions. Sources familiar with the drafting of the report tell Axios the State Department plans to call for sanctions against a handful of Russian ships.

*The State Department will also acknowledge that the corporate entity in charge of the project (Nord Stream 2 AG) and its CEO (Putin crony and former East German intelligence officer Matthias Warnig) are engaged in sanctionable activities.

* However, the State Department will waive the applications of those sanctions, citing U.S. national interests.

*This planned move seems at odds with Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement, made during his confirmation hearing: "I am determined to do whatever we can to prevent that completion" of Nord Stream 2.

Between the lines: This planned move also sets up a bizarre situation in which the Biden administration will be sanctioning ships involved in the building of Nord Stream 2 but refusing to sanction the actual company in charge of the project.

More: https://www.axios.com/nord-stream-sanction-biden-russia-f6db2ae3-2c89-4343-b326-9f399d674077.html

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[SergeStorms]

1. I think it has more to do....

with repairing our relationship with our European allies than being "soft" on Russia.

Germany needs this badly, and it will pay dividends later on when we need them. Trump so mangled our relationships with our allies it's probably a good first step in normalizing diplomacy.

That's my take on it anyway.

[peggysue2]

3. I tend to think that's the case

Biden is attempting to shore up relations with Germany and other allies. It's taking a 'long-view' approach. Russia and Putin deserve no favors but we're in a mea culpa position with our friends.

[Budi]

5. Absolutely agree. While giving a no-where-to-go with the Builder

We won't sanction your Company, but we WILL sanction any ships that try to build"
A rather slick move there, Joe!

"Biden administration will be sanctioning ships involved in the building of Nord Stream 2 but refusing to sanction the actual company in charge of the project."


No compromising on our Germany relations:
"Biden administration is not willing to compromise its relationship with Germany over this pipeline"

[uponit7771]

2. Hmmm, lets say the article is accurate I'll put this in the can trust Biden's judgement bin seeing

... I think they'll make Putin's Whore pay later or they're collecting points.

We'll see

[Caliman73]

4. This is likely naive and easier said than done....

Germany and western Europe need to figure out a way to wean themselves off of Russian Natural Gas. Like I said, naive an easy for me to say, but the reality is that Natural Gas and the stock piles of nuclear weapons left by the Soviet Union are the only things keeping Russia from being a backwater. If Western Europe could make those Russian pipelines irrelevant, they would make Russia irrelevant.

[Yorkie Mom]

6. From Julia Davis:

Russian state TV hosts speculate that the Biden admin leaked that he won't sanction the company in charge of building Nord Stream 2 in order to butter up Putin prior to the U.S./Russia talks. They say, "Americans, you are such naïve people" to think that Putin wants to get along.

Link to tweet

[hunter]

7. Germany needs the natural gas to support its misguided renewable energy industry...

... and to shut down its horribly dirty and destructive coal industry.

The synergy between natural gas and solar/wind energy was a relationship forged in hell.