Photographer: Alex Kraus / Bloomberg
Photographer: Alex Kraus / Bloomberg
Germany’s coordinator for transatlantic relations has called for a temporary suspension of construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas link to Russia to give Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government time to work on resetting relations with the US.
Peter Beyer, a member of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, said the near-completion pipeline in the Baltic Sea was a “roadblock” in relations between Berlin and Washington. The project is subject to US sanctions and a source of long-term friction between the two North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies.
“It’s not enough just to reject extra-territorial sanctions,” Beyer said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Thursday. “If we hope for a new start in transatlantic relations, we need to change our own position, “he said, adding that Germany and the US should hold further discussions to try to resolve the issue.
Beyer’s stance on the pipeline does not reflect the official lines of Merkel’s ruling coalition, although other CDU lawmakers have also called for a moratorium on the project.

Nord Stream 2’s undersea link to Germany.
Merkel’s government has rejected US calls to stop Gazprom PJSCpipeline, arguing that the sanctions imposed by the administration of former President Donald Trump endanger national and European sovereignty.
The US says Nord Stream 2 increases Russia’s influence over European energy markets, and has sanctioned ships, underwriters and project certifiers, forcing some international companies to end their participation.
Why the world is troubling about Russia’s Nord-stream pipeline: QuickTake
The new administration under Joe Biden is considering additional sanctions, potentially including project holding company Nord Stream 2 AG, three people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg last month.
The sanctions could be in the form of a provisional report which could also select an insurance company that has worked with vessels laying pipelines, as well as other companies providing vessels and supporting materials, according to the community, who asked not to do so. identified because of the sensitive nature of deliberation.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week suggested that the options for stopping Nord Stream 2 were limited, but differences in the project shouldn’t weigh on relations with Germany.
– With the help of Vanessa Dezem
(The update with Beyer’s comments begins in the third paragraph)