Prospects for the Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline

Abstract

In mid-July 2021, American-German talks were held in Washington, within the framework of which J. Biden and A. Merkel discussed the prospects for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline (NS-2). This project under President D. Trump became one of the conflicting factors that significantly worsened relations between the United States and Germany. On July 21, a joint statement by the President and the Bundeskanzlerin was published, containing a description of the conditions for the commercial launch of NS-2. The article analyzes the changes in the position of the new American administration regarding the NS-2, the agreements reached in July on the operating conditions for the new gas pipeline, its significance for Berlin's relations with Washington, Moscow, Kiev and Warsaw. Considering the results of the negotiations as a compromise between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany with ambiguous consequences for Russia, the author concludes that a number of risks remain for the project – the operator of the SP-2 and its owner, Gazprom, during the commercial launch and subsequent operation of the offshore and onshore sections of the gas pipeline, will have to continue to resist the resistance of its opponents in the USA, Germany and several other EU countries.