First Military Intelligence Author: Assassin
Biden's election and the potential for the trump administration's unilateralist policies have seen europe hope for a easing of tensions between the United States and Europe. Therefore, in recent times, the cooperative relations between the United States and Europe in the military and political fields have been greatly enhanced. Signs of détente between the United States and Europe are becoming clear, bringing energy cooperation between Europe and Russia back to life.
At present, the most important energy cooperation project between Russia and Europe, the "Nord Stream-2" natural gas pipeline project, has completed 94% of the project's workload. Previously, due to the threat of U.S. sanctions, the project was forced to stop construction. However, at the end of last month, the German side publicly announced that it would resume the construction of the Nord Stream-2 project.
Some analysts believe that when Germany announced the resumption of construction of the "Nord Stream-2" project at the chaotic time of the election dispute in the United States, it is clear that it is seizing the strategic window period, taking advantage of the favorable opportunity of the election dispute in the United States and its foreign policy in the empty window period to win the initiative for the follow-up promotion of the project. In other words, Germany took advantage of the political turmoil in the United States to forcibly promote the "Nord Stream-2" project.
However, although the United States is very chaotic, politicians in Washington have not forgotten that the Nord Stream-2 project is harming the interests of the United States. A few days ago, both houses of the US Congress "unanimously agreed" to expand the scope of sanctions against the "Nord Stream-2" project and stuff them into the so-called "National Defense Authorization Act." This means that the threat of U.S. sanctions against Nord Stream-2 is unlikely to be eliminated by regime change in the United States. In this regard, some German media pointed out that this means that the project will encounter more obstacles next year.
The U.S. sanctions on Nord Stream-2 are based on Europe's over-reliance on Russia's energy supplies, posing a security threat to the region. However, this is only a habitual means used by the United States to promote hegemonism. In fact, the ultimate goal of the United States in obstructing the Russian-European energy cooperation project is to increase its means of control over Europe by undermining cooperation between Russia and Europe and forcing the Eu to import Shale gas from the United States.
Prior to this, Germany had clearly declared its support for Biden after biden announced its victory in the general election. Even, in order to curry favor with the new government of Biden in advance, Germany reversed its previous anti-American attitude and took the initiative to withdraw from the "European Defense Autonomy" initiative proposed by French President Macron and stride closer to the United States.
Germany originally thought that with the change of regime in the United States, Biden would not obstruct the "Nord Stream-2" project after taking office, who ever thought that the US Senate and the House of Representatives would "unanimously agree" to expand the scope of sanctions on the project. This is enough to show that the boycott of the Nord Stream-2 project is not just the trump administration," but the unanimous consensus of the political elite in Washington, and it is also an important task after Biden took office.
Obviously, the threat of Sanctions by the Americans on the Nord Stream-2 project has disappointed Germany with the United States again. Germany is therefore not prepared to compromise on this. A few days ago, Ernst, chairman of the Energy and Economic Committee of the German Bundestag, said that Germany and the European Union are considering and discussing counter-sanctions measures: we will not compromise, we must make countermeasures!
It is no wonder that Europe has to resist desperately, after all, the US sanctions on the Nord Stream-2 project have extended the period for Europe to obtain Russian gas indefinitely, and the final loss has to be paid by Europeans. In addition, the project is currently 94% of the workload, if forced to abort because of U.S. sanctions, Germany and other EU countries have invested huge sums of money will be lost, this loss Americans will not bear.
What's more, if the project ultimately fails, Germany and other EU countries will be forced to buy Shale gas from the United States. Expensive or trivial, the energy lifeline is pinched by the Americans, and it will be even more difficult for Europe to get rid of the control of the United States and achieve defense autonomy in the future.
In this context, in the face of the threat of US sanctions, European countries such as Germany have no way back. Therefore, they have no choice but to face the difficulties and counter the United States. In this regard, Ernst said that the behavior of the United States is obviously not in the interests of Europe, Europe, especially Germany, is not willing to buy Shale gas from the United States, and the United States is trying to achieve its own interests through its economic and political power, which is unacceptable to Germany.
It is true that Germany's flattery with the United States could not be exchanged for the United States' net-opening on the Nord Stream-2 project. Germany and Europe have clearly been provoked. After all, after the Trump administration signed a decree imposing sanctions on the Nord Stream-2 project in August, the 24 member states of the European Union issued a joint statement condemning it and clearly criticizing the US move as a violation of international law.
Therefore, the two houses of the United States will sanction the "Nord Stream-2" project into its "National Defense Authorization Act", from the reaction of the European Union, once the future Biden administration imposes sanctions on the project, European countries are unlikely to sacrifice their own interests and abandon the project, and will inevitably be forced to counteract. At that time, a large-scale trade confrontation between the United States and Europe may be inevitable.
Biden has repeatedly promised to have good relations with allies, but in terms of the current attitude of the United States in the "Nord Stream-2" project, it is estimated that it is difficult for the United States and Europe to restore the level of harmony before the Trump administration.