US Ambassador Richard Grenell defends his threats to Nord Stream 2 firms
Sputnik reported that US Ambassador Richard Grenell, dubbed by some German media outlets as “Trump terrier”, has prompted outrage among some in Germany by sending out letters to European companies, outlining the reputational costs and sanctions risks for their participation in the Russian-European project to build a gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine. In an interview with the German outlet Rheinische Post, US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell defended his threatening letters to the companies involved in the Russian-European venture Nord Stream 2, saying that their wording does not differ from what Washington publicly states. However, he refused to comment on any specific punitive measures that the US government might impose.
He pointed out that he sees protecting his fellow citizens and defending his homeland’s interests as a diplomat’s central responsibility, and as the US government and Congress have clear reservations about energy security and the geopolitical impact of Nord Stream 2, he will continue to push US policy.
He stated that the US would not take part in any conversations about the pipeline as a reliable, market-based energy supplier. As the diplomat claimed, the problem with Nord Stream 2 is that it is not an economic venture, but a project that was developed “for only one reason”: to create an alternative route for transporting Russian gas on its way to Europe that does not pass through Ukraine.
Nord Stream 2 is a joint venture of Russia’s Gazprom and five European companies: French Engie, Austrian OMV AG, UK-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, German Uniper, and Wintershall. The project is due to be wrapped up before the end of 2019 and envisages the construction of two gas pipelines that will run from Russia, through the Baltic Sea and to a hub in Germany, bypassing Ukraine entirely.
Source : Sputnik