Germany Makes a Big Move on Nord Stream 2 but Is It Too Late?

One of the big reasons we’ve gotten to where we are now with Russia and Ukraine was that Germany and Joe Biden indicated that they were just not serious when it came to Nord Stream 2. When Joe Biden waived sanctions on it and Germany indicated they were willing to make themselves beholden to Russia for their energy, Vladimir Putin knew that he was being given a green light. He saw weakness and lack of resolve all over the place. While he’s had designs on Ukraine for years, that likely helped him to believe that there would be no great consequences from these feckless people.

But Germany pulled a move Putin likely figured they wouldn’t — they effectively stopped the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announcing that he was going to halt the process of certifying the pipeline because of Putin’s statement recognized two areas in Ukraine — Donetsk and Luhansk — as “independent” countries, setting up a thin rationale for him to move in to “protect” their “independence.” He said his action was in response to Putin’s declaration.

[link to redstate.com (secure)]