Talks with the USA about Nord Stream 2 ‘on the right track’

Merkel also confirmed that the conversation with Biden was mainly about his summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Wednesday. There was only a short talk about Nord Stream 2. The chancellor met the new US president for the first time at Karbis Bay for a personal meeting. On July 15, I traveled to Washington for extended deliberations.

Three weeks ago, the Biden government partly abandoned its years of resistance to the controversial pipeline between Russia and Germany and waived sanctions against the operator — also out of consideration for relations with Germany. Then a delegation from the federal government traveled to Washington to discuss how to move forward. Talks continued after that.

At its core, it is about how Ukraine will secure billions in revenue from Russian gas transfer in the long term. The corresponding contract between Russia and Ukraine is limited to 2024. The federal government wants to seek its extension at an early stage.

Russia expects to complete the pipeline by the end of the year. Critics fear that this will make Europe too dependent on Russia for energy supplies. But supporters accuse the United States of only wanting to sell its liquid gas better in Europe.