Brussels, Washington The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is more involved than previously known in the efforts to commission the controversial Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline. According to information from the Handelsblatt from American government circles, the “Climate and Environmental Protection” foundation set up by the state government and Nord Stream 2 AG is the owner of a ship that is involved in the final work on completing the line. This is the “blue ship” that also appears in the US government’s latest sanctions report to Congress.
The report does not name the foundation directly, but indicates that the ship belongs to an organization linked to the “German government”. Washington is currently debating whether to impose new penalties on Nord Stream 2. The transatlantic sanctions dispute, which actually seemed to have been settled, is entering a new round.
Even with German critics of the pipeline, the activities of the Mecklenburg foundation, which previously took place under the public’s radar, met with sharp criticism. “We want this dispute to be decided by European authorities in accordance with European law,” said Reinhard Bütikofer, European politician for the Greens, the Handelsblatt.
It is not desirable “that the USA have to help us with sanctions”. At the same time, however, Bütikofer made it clear: “If the state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania helps the pipeline project to be completed, it would be a massive violation of the agreement that Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Joe Biden made on Nord Stream 2. You couldn’t complain if there was a sharp reaction from Washington. “
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So far, Biden has avoided escalating the dispute. Even the most recent sanctions are largely symbolic and do not pose any serious threat to the project. In the sanctions report to Congress, the US government lists penalties against the ship “Marlin” and its owners. The “Blue Ship” associated with the Mecklenburg Foundation was spared.
The climate foundation was set up about a year ago, supposedly to support projects in environmental, nature and climate protection. However, even then, Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig emphasized that the non-profit organization could also make a contribution to the completion of Nord Stream 2. “Whether this option is needed and used depends on whether the USA continues to rely on sanctions against German and European companies,” said the SPD politician in January.
A foundation as an auxiliary construction?
So far it has seemed as if the Climate Foundation was an aid in the event that the Americans expand their sanctions against Nord Stream. She could then have taken over the operation of the pipeline to avoid the economic fines. It is now evident that the foundation is already active.
The role of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania arouses considerable resentment in Washington. Parts of the US government are internally pushing for tougher sanctions because the German side is obviously not ready to resolutely oppose Russian power politics.
In Congress, too, the conciliatory attitude of the White House towards Berlin is viewed critically. Binding sanctions could even be adopted there in the next few weeks, which could also affect European companies and business people for the first time.
The “Climate and Environmental Protection” foundation established by Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Nord Stream 2 AG is said to be the owner of a ship that is involved in the final work to complete the pipeline.
(Photo: imago images / penofoto)
German business representatives are alarmed: “If new sanctions actually come, that would be a fatal signal,” says the spokeswoman for a large industrial association. Actually, there is a spirit of optimism, they are working well with the US government. But the conflict over the controversial German-Russian pipeline could destroy the transatlantic rapprochement again.
From a German point of view, everything seemed to be settled: The Biden team had negotiated a deal with Merkel’s advisors in July. Germany pledged to expand its support for Ukraine, which is threatened by Russia.
In return, the USA suspended sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG and its boss Matthias Warnig. Nord Stream 2 AG belongs to the Russian state-owned company Gazprom. The compromise reflected the pragmatism of the Biden government: with the pipeline essentially complete, Biden preferred to repair relations with Germany.
However, the agreement between the US and Germany leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Among other things, it says that Russia must fear “consequences” if it uses energy as a weapon. In Washington, it is now accepted that Moscow is doing just that.
In the Congress, the understanding with the Germans met with sharp criticism from the start. Both Democrats and Republicans categorically oppose Nord Stream 2. Resistance to the large-scale project is one of the few consensus topics that connects the ruling party and the opposition.
A group of Republican Senators around foreign policy maker Jim Risch wants to force Biden to sanction the pipeline – comprehensively, retrospectively and also against Germany.
So far, the president has the power to suspend sanctions decisions from Congress, as happened in the summer. A clause in the so-called National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is traditionally passed at the end of the year, would block this lever.
Both US parties agree on the rejection
“The US threatens a geopolitical catastrophe if Nord Stream 2 goes online,” raged Republican Ted Cruz. The Texan Senator is blocking the confirmation of several embassy posts in Congress in protest against Biden’s policy around Nord Stream 2. Among other things, he is delaying the dispatch of the US ambassador-designate for Germany, Amy Gutmann.
The US Senate wants to vote on the NDAA and the sensitive clause in December. The draft has already been confirmed in the second chamber, the House of Representatives. It is still unclear whether the Republicans will prevail. But it is not excluded. Prominent Democrats are also looking for ways to stop Nord Stream‧ 2.
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