WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement following a classified briefing on the administration’s failed approach to the Nord Stream 2 (NS2) pipeline:
“The administration still has little to show for its approach to NS2 other than a vague set of promises from Germany, a physically complete pipeline, and an entirely predictable Russian-made gas crisis with winter rapidly approaching.
“As NS2’s opponents have predicted for years, Russia is creating a gas crisis to blackmail the European Union into approving NS2, and to cement its energy dominance over Europe. Energy transitions take decades, and vague promises from Germany to hold Russia accountable and build a green energy economy in Europe will not address the short-term energy and geopolitical challenges that our allies will face in the next few years.
“Congress, on a strong bipartisan basis, passed multiple laws that are crystal clear – NS2 must not be allowed to become operational. The administration continues its refusal to follow the law.”
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