The United States’ plans to form a coalition against the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project are indicative of a split in the European Union. This opinion was expressed in an interview with “RIA Novosti” by the deputy of the Bundestag, member of the committee on international affairs Waldemar Gerdt.
According to him, the scenario presented by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was predictable. At the same time, Gerdt said that the very fact of the need to create a coalition indicates that there are disagreements between European countries.
The parliamentarian added that it was initially expected that the EU countries would speak with a single voice on this issue. Gerdt also warned that Washington’s pressure on dissenting people is expected to grow.
On September 21, Mike Pompeo announced that the US authorities are planning to create a coalition to prevent the completion of the pipeline.
On September 19, it became known that the likely successor to Angela Merkel as chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed a two-year moratorium on the construction of the project.
The gas pipeline is being built from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Currently, about 160 km of pipes remain to be laid, but construction is temporarily suspended due to US sanctions. Currently, there are calls in the EU and the US to abandon the project because of the incident with blogger Alexei Navalny.