Posted on 06/18/2018 6:49:45 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Nord Stream-2 includes construction of two lines of a gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters of gas per year from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. The gas pipeline will bypass the transit states - Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other Eastern European and Baltic countries - through the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of five states - Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project is purely commercial, not political, and attempts to counter its implementation violate the rules of free competition, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
He noted that in the project implementation Russia is interacting with Germany and a number of other states and companies.
(Excerpt) Read more at tass.com ...
President Donald Trump is pressing Germany to pull the brakes on a major gas deal with Russia as the price for avoiding a trans-Atlantic trade war, according to German, U.S. and European officials. ~ WSJ, May 17, 2018
Control their energy and you control Dem:-)
Trump is trying to stop it and Germany’s resistance is one of the reasons the trade war against the E.U. proceeded.
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Why should we try to block gas sales between willing buyers, willing sellers, and willing pipeline host countries? This is really none of our business.
It is our business because of how much we give/offer Germany and how Germany treats us (economically) by comparison. Considering the current climate, the least they can do is diversify their sources of energy or even consider making deals with American companies. Germans don’t pay their fair share into NATO either.
A lot of our other actual allies like Poland are not happy about the geopolitical implications of Europe should Russia cement its monopoly over the continent’s energy. It would give the Kremlin undue amounts of geopolitical leverage with their natural gas — as they strategically bypass Ukraine, Baltics, in the process.
The Poles plan to be off Russian oil by 2022 and are starting a pipeline with Norway.
Here is another relevant article from Drudge Report today:
“Spotlight falls on Russia threat to undersea cables.”
http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/392577-spotlight-falls-on-russian-threat-to-undersea-cables
Trust only dead Russians.
That is correct...logically the United States should be loosening its grip on European affairs not tightening it.
Neoliberal interventionists see things differently though...
This is one of those areas where Trump is either being rolled by the neocons and globalists, or going along with them to buy breathing rooom on other issues
This is about a grand global strategy to isolate Russia, economically and politically ( run by who and for what ends ... tbd... but it is international or even supranational)
Any union and rappricement between Germany and Russia goes against the plan. That is why the hysteria when Trump questioned NATO
What is the end game of the plan... to isolate and strangle Russia ..requires more research and discussion
Really. Ok the world has no Russia. Just a huge power vacuum in central Eurasia. Who fills it.
Anything is better than the Russians
“Spotlight falls on Russia threat to undersea cables.”
Undersea cables are indefensible.
Trump is looking out for American interests long term and we would have a lot to gain establishing more inroads in European energy market. (Nordstream 2 could block us out.) Especially considering what we GIVE already practically for free! (Hence the trade war.)
Russia is the one that has not proven to be a fair competitor. Maybe under different leadership, it one day will be.
......and all of that nasty co2.....
......an undersea PIPELINE??? What about leaks??? Think of the fishes!! Why are progressives asleep....
Take note of the leading signatory countries of the Paris Climate Agreement: France, Germany, China, Russia et al. It had NOTHING to do with the environment and everything to do with reining in U.S. economic power, sovereignty, and interests.
International commerce and politics are one and the same though.
“Considering the current climate, the least they can do is diversify their sources of energy or even consider making deals with American companies.”
Well, we’re certainly not going to be piping natural gas over to them. What do you want them to do? Switch back to coal?
Especially with Russia. Where everything is centralized and major industries are run by the state.
Hi Boogieman,
I doubt Trump is suggesting that Europeans to “switch back to coal.” There are other options to this pipeline and it’s not just Americans who are weary of it, but other surrounding countries.
From America’s vantage though: so long as we pay for their defense, and remain among their most reliable economic partners - countries such as Germany should expect a challenge to our trade status quo with them. We are their allies and benefactors in more ways than one. Yet they readily bypass us to instead commit themselves to gas that is so geopolitically charged — from a traditional adversary many of their European neighbors don’t trust, yet will be forced to put up with given the leverage such a pipeline would amass.
It also decreases our hand when we do want to negotiate with Russia in the near and far term. They won’t have any concessions to give because they’re firmly in the EU corner with regard to energy.
From Drudge today: “Spotlight falls on Russian threat to undersea cables”
http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/392577-spotlight-falls-on-russian-threat-to-undersea-cables
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