Following a bilat in which the two world leaders agreed they are in "lockstep" as to handling the current Russia-Ukraine crisis, President Biden warned alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that any movement on Moscow's part would be a threat to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
"If Russia invades — that means tanks and troops crossing the border of Ukraine again — then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2," Biden said during the joint press conference. "We will bring an end to it."
The president did not detail exactly how that might happen, but promised "we'll be able to do it."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Scholz did not respond with the same gusto as Biden did, opting instead to repeat a frequent refrain: "We are absolutely united." Previously, the German leader "has been vague about whether he would agree to terminate the pipeline project," the Times writes.
Scholz on Monday also reportedly did not use the pipeline's name when asked about it, replying through a translator that it is best to "not spell out everything in public," but both the U.S. and Germany have planned out "far-reaching measures" in advance, The Independent says.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is "meant to connect Russian natural gas supplies with Germany and the rest of Europe," notes The Independent. Its construction has become quite the issue, given it could serve as a Russian "coercive tool against Ukraine and other allies," the Times adds.
-
The Week Unwrapped: Have pedigree dogs had their day?Podcast Plus what can we learn from Slovenia’s rejection of assisted dying? And can politicians admit their weaknesses?
-
4 easy tips to avoid bank feesThe Explainer A few dollars here and there might seem insignificant, but it all adds up
-
4 often overlooked home maintenance tasks that could cost you laterThe Explainer A little upkeep now can save you money down the road
-
Trump’s Ukraine peace talks advance amid leaked callSpeed Read Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Russia next week
-
Memo signals Trump review of 233k refugeesSpeed Read The memo also ordered all green card applications for the refugees to be halted
-
US, Kyiv report progress on shifting Ukraine peace planSpeed Read The deal ‘must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty,’ the countries said
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
-
Defeating Russia’s shadow fleetThe Explainer A growing number of uninsured and falsely registered vessels are entering international waters, dodging EU sanctions on Moscow’s oil and gas
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
-
Trump defends Saudi prince, shrugs off Khashoggi murderSpeed Read The president rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking Mohammed bin Salman about the death of a Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Consulate in 2018
