During German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s inaugural visit to Washington, US president Joe Biden emphasised that Nord Stream 2 should end if Russia invaded Ukraine.
During the press conference following the meeting of the two heads of state, Biden clearly stated that the future of the controversial pipeline would be linked to how the current crisis at the Russo-Ukrainian border advances.
“If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops passing the border of Ukraine, then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it,” Biden emphasised during the joint press conference with Scholz on Monday (7 February).
“The notion that Nord Stream 2 would go forward with an invasion by the Russians is just not going to happen,” the US president added.
Scholz himself remained hesitant to reiterate Biden’s clear statement regarding the shutdown of the controversial undersea gas pipeline, which is planned to link Russia and Germany.
However, he emphasised that potential sanctions would be taken in close consultations with his NATO allies.
“We have intensively prepared everything to be ready with the necessary sanctions if there is a military aggression against Ukraine,” Scholz outlined, stressing that he had already agreed on the extent and the scope of the sanctions with his NATO partners.
“It is part of this process that we do not spell out everything in public,” Scholz emphasised.
“You can be sure that there won’t be any measures where we have a different approach. We will act together, jointly,” he added.