EU to supervise Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline built by Russia and Germany

Brussels/Berlin: The European Union will be supervising the ambitious Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline being built by Russia and Germany. This was decided unanimously in the European Union meeting held at Brussels on Friday. France had taken a stand against Germany on this issue and had threatened to stall the project. However, France withdrew its opposition to the project after a last-minute agreement reached between France and Germany.

‘Nord Stream-2’ project supplying fuel gas to Germany directly from Russia, costs nearly $11 billion. Both Russia and Germany have highlighted the importance of the project and the respective heads of state have repeatedly declared it. This project will facilitate a large scale fuel supply from Russia to Germany.

Many countries including Poland have expressed fear that this project is a threat to European countries including Ukraine wherein Russia can hold the European countries at ransom through this project. Therefore, the Union has taken an aggressive stance in the matter and has demanded the project to be a part of the energy security of Europe. This was accepted in the European Union meeting on Friday and now the project will be under European control along with the Russian company.

Even the United States has expressed concern that Russia will increase its influence on the European countries. The United States was opposed to the Nord Stream 2 project, since its inception. The United States had objected strongly to Russia laying the pipeline to supply fuel, bypassing Ukraine. The US Congress has passed the resolution to impose sanctions against this project. The US Ambassador in Germany Richard Grenell, in an interview with a German periodical, had warned that there will be sword hanging permanently, over the heads of the companies participating in this project. Grenell had also warned that the United States can impose sanctions against these companies at any time.