Gazprom could already have been cut off except for Germany and the US.
Biden, again, and Germany did not tell the truth on this:
February 7 according the Rueters - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be halted if Russia invades Ukraine and stressed unity with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as the West rallies to avert a war in Europe.
On Feb 10, a German politician set up a state-backed foundation with Russian energy company Gazprom last year to help Moscow avoid U.S. sanctions on a pipeline due to carry Russian gas to Europe.
Both Germany and the US were aware of this deal concerning Nordstrom 2 and Gazprom as it cripples the Biden plan to stop Russia from having the capacity of either fighting or cutting off oil to Europe as early as December last year.
wy69
“… February 7 according the Rueters - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be halted if Russia invades Ukraine and stressed unity with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as the West rallies to avert a war in Europe.…”
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Biden claims that he would “halt” the NS2 pipeline, a pipeline that never had gone into actual delivery mode. It is also the pipeline that TRUMP CAUSED CESSATION OF CONSTRUCTION and Biden came in and rescinded that action allowing construction to restart and continue. NS2 construction was completed (September 2021?) after Biden’s “go-ahead” and testing commenced.
I don’t know much about NG pipelines but I have seen other FReepers demonstrate considerable expertise and detailed working knowledge of the industry. I’m assuming that before their pre-activation testing starts the new pipeline would have had to have all its existing air purged somehow and replaced with pure natural gas. When the new pipeline was “mothballed” and testing discontinued in February 2022 I’m guessing that it was safely sealed with pure natural from its beginning point to its terminal point. Maybe some FReepers with industry experience can weigh in to confirm or clarify this.