Merkel Defends Russian Gas Pipeline Deal Without More US Sanctions

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday defended a compromise agreement with the United States to permit completion of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to transport fuel from Russia to Germany without the further imposition of American sanctions.

She called the pact, announced Wednesday between Berlin and Washington, “good for Ukraine,” even though the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 line, which is 98% completed, will bypass Ukraine and Poland. Germany and the U.S. said they are committed to blocking any attempt by Moscow to use the new line as a political weapon to control energy supplies to Europe. Germany and the U.S. agreed to fund alternative energy and development projects in Ukraine and Poland, although both countries voiced their displeasure at the agreement, saying it was not enough to reduce the threat of Russian energy control. "Differences remain. We saw that in the reactions yesterday," Merkel told reporters in Berlin, acknowledging opposition to the agreement in the U.S. Congress.