The White House "took a step forward" with the German government in the dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Democrats in the US Senate on Thursday blocked a Republican bill for immediate sanctions against the pipeline. A group of Democrats, led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, has unveiled an alternative, "much softer" bill that would authorize the White House to only consider sanctions on the pipeline in the event of a "Russian invasion of Ukraine," the Süddeutsche reported.
Joe Biden's administration opposes the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline into the Baltic Sea. Washington sees the pipeline as "a dangerous geostrategic project for Moscow that allows it to supply gas to the West, bypassing Ukraine and thus gaining a means of political pressure on Kiev and Europe." But at the same time, Biden values relations with Germany and does not want to damage them with sanctions against German companies involved in the project, especially amid ongoing talks with Moscow aimed at "preventing a Russian attack on Ukraine." So far, Biden has blocked sanctions.
Republicans do not want to conform to Berlin's sentiments. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican, presented a bill requiring the US president to impose sanctions on all companies involved in the Russian-German project within 15 days of its adoption. However, Cruz was defeated on Thursday - the senator's initiative failed to win the required 60 votes to approve the document.
As many Democratic senators have expressed concern about "Moscow threats" and "the presence of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine," the White House fears Cruz's "heavy bill" could get the required majority. Despite the fact that Biden's supporters actively lobbied against the bill, the number of potential dissidents in the Democratic Group remains quite high. Approving Cruz's bill would not only seriously worsen Washington's relationship with the new German government, but would be a "sad defeat" for Biden.
To provide an alternative to potential "apostates" from the Biden line, Senator Menendez, with the support of the White House, drafted a separate bill. A good move: only five Democrats backed Cruz's bill. This is not enough to accept the document, the author writes.
Menendez's bill stipulates that in the event of a "Russian invasion of Ukraine," the administration is only required to "consider" all necessary measures to prevent the launch of Nord Stream 2. The document envisions sanctions against Russia in the event of an escalation. They affect the Russian leadership, including President Vladimir Putin, and the Russian financial sector, writes Süddeutsche Zeitung.
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