Biden weighs sanctions on Russian pipeline he called 'a bad deal for Europe'

[DonViejo]

Source: NBC News


Ukraine, Poland, France and a bipartisan majority in Congress oppose the pipeline, saying it will make Europe dependent on Russian energy.

Feb. 12, 2021, 10:32 AM EST
By Dan De Luce and Abigail Williams

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will have to make a decision soon on whether to impose sanctions on foreign companies working on a Russian natural gas pipeline, a move that would cause friction with Germany and raise tensions with Moscow.

Under legislation adopted by Congress last month shortly before Biden's inauguration, firms that perform work in support of the Russian pipeline in the Baltic Sea are subject to U.S. sanctions, including companies that insure the project. The law requires the State Department to report to Congress later this month on which companies are deemed to be in violation of the sanctions.

The administration has said it is reviewing the issue and the White House National Security Council was due to hold a working-level meeting on Friday to discuss the pipeline project, two U.S. officials told NBC News.

If the administration chose to delay enforcing the sanctions as requested by Germany, officials would have to issue a waiver — which likely would trigger a sharp reaction in Congress.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/biden-weighs-sanctions-russian-pipeline-he-called-bad-deal-europe-n1257608

[inwiththenew]

1. Germans love their Russian gas

They've been fighting the rest of Europe every step of the way on this.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Germany also knows about its energy shortfall and has massive solar investments

German engineering. This Old House even went to Germany to showcase the technology. Passive solar collectors and storage, not wind power and PVs. Switches, pumps, circulators. Seems to me I recall these type of things are required in new construction. Required. We would never get that here other than on a local level. Solar is a LIB thing. Oil is macho, right wing, cool.

[Hortensis]

6. Indeed. Germany's been doing good.

Have to disagree that the U.S. never would, though! Whoa!

The Democratic Party in 2016 committed to switching to sustainable energy, including providing solar power to our entire nation. I think something like a billion solar panels on homes by the end of HRC's first term, or half by then? Whatever. BIG plan.

Our incredibly vulnerable energy grids are also an enormous, enormous national security problem. Also, Big Petroleum knows oil's day is ending and is shifting investment to sustainable.

It would have happened. And will.

Just one big part of the dreadful tragedy of 2016 is that we're not well along with that now. Various states have started, but we have a whole lot of catchup to get to our 100% clean energy goal.

Oh, speaking of, just yesterday Biden announced his THIRD major climate effort. This one focuses on accelerating innovation in clean energy and climate technology. They began on day 1.

[cstanleytech]

3. I think in all fairness that a waiver should be given but they should be told

that it will be only for 90 days so that the parties involved have a chance to make arrangements to severe ties with each other.

[Escurumbele]

4. I have to agree 100% with what you wrote, after all, Germany is one of our biggest allies and

we do need to accommodate somewhat for them, but I agree that no more than 90 days, it will also serve as a punishment for Putin to know that in 90 days Germany will be gone as well.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Wow,this would crush the already

ugly Russian Economy. Biden did say,Putin has to pay the price. BTW,there is another pipeline for Nat Gas available to Germany.

[TomVilmer]

7. A trade war: Alternative to Russian gas would be to buy shitty expensive US gas ...

... so there are no good solutions in the short run. But seen from Western Europe is the pipeline giving more power over Russia, than the opposite way. They need Western money, and for this they have to play nicer - or this money flow going East will stop.

[mr_lebowski]

9. Welcome to DU ... for the record, I don't disagree ...

This is meddlesome and annoying to me as well, and I'm from the US.

I didn't like it when Trump did this and I'm not going to change my mind about that even if Biden decides to continue his policy.

[marble falls]

14. Biden has already said this is a priority ...

... its no easy thing to revive a four-year dead treaty and at the same time both parties have "evolved" without the treaty framework.

The fact Iran and the US is talking shows there is already progress. A year ago Trump sniped an Iranian Government official and was actively seeking a war. That's a big difference in relations right there. There will be a reworked treaty, and I'll bet there are working groups from both country right now seeking common ground.

As for the departed newby: his point Europe doesn't trust the US misses the nuance that Europe didn't trust Trump, and they know Joe Biden isn't Donald Trump.

[mr_lebowski]

16. Didn't know we were talking about Iran, thought it was about a gas pipeline ...

I didn't much care for Trump trying to block Germany from doing what they apparently feel like they need to do.

I'm not going to flip my opinion on the same thing just because Biden is POTUS.

I try not to be inconsistent in my views

[marble falls]

20. The fight over that oil pipeline started during W's term, if not Clintons. There's never been ...

... any crossed signals on it. The big question for the US and NATO is if the Europe becomes dependent on Russia: Putin turns it on, Putin turns it off. In that the German have made it clear that they will be oil free on the roads by 2030, pan to shut down reactor generated electric, have standards for clean air tougher than the Paris accord, have increase alternative energy production to the point that this question gets asked: Is Germany Making Too Much Renewable Energy? (https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/02/10/is-germany-making-too-much-renewable-energy/), that petroleum use is dropping: the pipeline becomes more useless.


https://futurism.com/these-7-countries-want-to-say-goodbye-to-fossil-fuel-based-cars

Germany

Though not the first to have considered banning petrol and diesel cars, Germany was the first to implement a ban. Back in October 2016, the country’s federal council (the Bundesrat) proposed and passed a resolution that calls for a total ban on internal combustion engines by 2030. The decision is a significant one, not just because it’s the first, but also because Germany has the fourth largest car manufacturing industry in the world.

Germany’s also home to some of the biggest car makers out there. As a result, veteran automobile manufacturers Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen have since firmed up on their hydrogen and electric car efforts.


Climate Targets
https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-climate-targets



In the end the issue has less and less to with petroleum supplies, but has much more to do with US obligations to NATO states in an emergency.

I understand Germany is one of the larges petrochemical nations. I understand we have no right to dictate any other nations foreign policy but as the nation that spends more on defense than the next eight or so nations, we are the biggest part of NATO. Their obligations to the nation NATO was formed to counter obligate us, too, in a bunch of ways. If Germany obligates itself to a project that would benefit an invader of Germany who we are obligated to defend, we begin to have a huge interest, too.

This is not a simple matter of sovereignty, but it includes international agreements and pacts. Ask Germans how they feel about the Fulda Gap where we will flat out sacrifice US troops to slow a Russian army from rolling through Germany.

I surely don't think suggestion that Donald Trump favored is a good idea: unilaterally quit NATO

There's nothing wrong with evolving your positions as facts gather and become more clear.

DU has seriously caused me to modify radically several of my positions, particularly my about face on gun control.




Saw a headline a couple of days ago in a business magazine about the Saudi's planning to build an electric car industry in Saudi. GMC plans on making only electric cars by 2030. Oil pipelines are becoming unnecessary.

[paleotn]

11. Does that apply to your neighbors as well?

They're not too keen on the idea either. And just because the US can be insufferably arrogant doesn't automatically mean we're wrong. It's a horrible deal for Germany. But, hey, if you want to screw yourselves by getting in bed with a megalomaniac...whatever.

"Who runs Bartertown? Master Putin, runs Bartertown."

[TomVilmer]

12. Europeans are now not willing to support Washington in potential international disputes

What the US has been doing to block this pipeline is not cooperation, it is bullying. And bullying does not make people friendly:

A new study by the European Council of Foreign Relations (ECFR) found that after former US president Donald Trump's chaotic and importunate four-year term, Europeans were not willing to support Washington in potential international disputes.

Only 10% saw America as a "reliable" security partner in the event of a crisis.

A survey of 15 000 people across 11 European countries, including France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and others, further discovered more than 60% of Europeans thought America's political system was "broken" - and it was unlikely the US would regain its world leadership, or that President Joe Biden would be able to halt his country's decline on the world stage.

https://www.news24.com/news24/columnists/guestcolumn/opinion-with-a-change-in-presidency-in-the-us-there-has-also-been-an-attitudinal-shift-in-europe-20210125

[paleotn]

17. Not surprised, and there are numerous sins of the past 4 years...

to atone for. But that still doesn't mean we're wrong on Nord Stream 2. For every Euro exchanged for Russian nat. gas, a large percentage is used to destabilize their neighbors, undermine European democracy and rebuild Putin's cockamamie idea of some lost "Russian Empire." The Qatar Turkey pipeline would have been a better deal. But, alas, after Trump's pull out, betraying the Kurds, Putin now controls Syria for all practical purposes and that deal is off. He want's to control virtually the entire gas supply to Europe and not for reasons in Europe's best interests.

[TomVilmer]

18. Best would be more green energy and no need for those pipelines at all ...

... and that development might make Russia's pipelines obsolete quite fast anyway.

[paleotn]

19. Agreed.

I'd rather be reliant on electricity from solar farms in Spain, southern France and Italy. Far less chance of them turning off the juice because you wouldn't let them have half of Ukraine.

[Turin_C3PO]

13. Your third post

and it’s criticizing Biden. Hmmm...

[marble falls]

15. Worse: implicitly saying the US is the same with either Trump or Biden. Eurobotherism.

[rockfordfile]

10. Absolutely put sanctions