The United States is ramping up its efforts to hinder the finalization of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, just as Russia’s Gazprom and its German partners thought that the recent Danish decision permitting the use of anchors by pipelaying ships would finally enable its completion. Recognizing that Nord Stream 2 would give Moscow the means to manipulate gas supplies for its geopolitical advantage, Secretary Pompeo announced potential sanctions against firms involved in the pipeline’s construction. Recent bipartisan statements indicate that Congress is looking to the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act as a sanctions vehicle to halt the pipeline. What do these developments mean for the pipeline’s prospects and U.S.-German relations?
Join CEPA and the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center for a discussion on the latest U.S. actions against Nord Stream 2 to consider: what does the U.S. Administration hope to achieve; how would the completion of Nord Stream 2 and the blocking of the project by sanctions affect the transatlantic relationship; and how can allies work together to prevent the completion of the pipeline?
Moderator
Brian Whitmore, Director, Russia, CEPA
Speakers
Chris Robinson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russia, United States
Margarita Assenova, Fellow, Democratic Resilience, CEPA
John Herbst, Director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council
Benjamin L. Schmitt, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University