In December 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions to halt the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a project designed to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. By that time, the pipeline was already about 90% complete.
The American sanctions targeted companies involved in the pipeline’s construction, leading to a temporary suspension of the work. However, construction resumed a year later while Trump was still in office. Despite the ongoing opposition from the Biden administration to the Nord Stream 2 project, President Joe Biden lifted some sanctions in May 2021, a decision that faced criticism.
Biden justified the lifting of sanctions by stating that U.S. capabilities to prevent the pipeline’s completion were limited, even with additional sanctions.
Meanwhile, the certification required by German regulators for the pipeline to become operational was blocked by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February 2022, following the escalation of tensions in Ukraine and Russia's recognition of separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.
Thus, despite actions taken by the two successive U.S. administrations, the final decision on the pipeline remains in the hands of the German authorities.
For more details, you can read the full article on Forbes.