White House mulling sanctions over Nord Stream 2 pipeline

February 17, 2021 KT1 US 0

DAMEROW, GERMANY - MARCH 26: A worker stands next to a machine that is bending sections of pipe to fit the construction terrain at a pipe depot during construction of the Eugal gas pipeline on March 26, 2019 near Damerow, Germany. The Eugal gas pipeline will transport natural gas arriving from Russia through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline 480km across eastern Germany, from Lubmin on the Baltic Sea to the Czech border. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

DAMEROW, GERMANY – MARCH 26: A worker stood next to a machine which was bending sections of pipe to fit the construction terrain at a pipe depot on March 26, 2019 near Damerow, Germany. The Eugal gas pipeline will transport natural gas arriving from Russia through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline 480km across eastern Germany, from Lubmin on the Baltic Sea to the Czech border. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:25 PM PT – Tuesday, February 16, 2021

The U.S. is reviewing whether to place sanctions on companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Eastern Europe.

On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Joe Biden thinks the pipeline, meant to span between Russia and Germany, is a “bad deal for Europe.” She continued, the U.S. is mulling sanctions in an effort to bring the project in line with Europe’s energy goals.

“We’re continuing to monitor activity to complete or to certify the pipeline,” Psaki stated. “If such activity takes place, we’ll make a determination of the applicability of sanctions. Importantly, sanctions are only one among many important tools to ensure energy security.”

SASSNITZ, GERMANY - OCTOBER 19: Workers are working on an iron cage the production process of pipes in the production hall at the Nord Stream 2 facility at Mukran on Ruegen Islandon October 19, 2017 in Sassnitz, Germany. Nord Stream is laying a second pair of offshore pipelines in the Baltic Sea between Vyborg in Russia and Greifswald in Germany for the transportation of Russian natural gas to western Europe. An initial pair of pipelines was inaugurated in 2012 and the second pair is due for completion by 2019. A total of 50,000 pipes are currently on hand at Mukran, where they receive a concrete wrapping before being transported out to sea. Russian energy supplier Gazprom, whose board is led by former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, owns a 51% stake in Nord Stream. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

SASSNITZ, GERMANY – OCTOBER 19: Workers are working on an iron cage in the production hall at the Nord Stream 2 facility at Mukran on Ruegen Islandon October 19, 2017 in Sassnitz, Germany. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

The pipeline has been largely criticized by the global community over fears it would divide Eastern Europe and would allow the Ukraine to fall into the influence of Russia. The controversial pipeline is currently over 90 percent completed.