Nord Stream 2: A central bargaining chip in Russia-Ukraine conflict

JIMMIE: AS TROOPS BUILD, AND TENSIONS RISE,  ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS SURROUNDING THE RUSSIA/UKRAINE CONFLICT…  WHAT WILL BECOME OF A MASSIVE UNDERWATER  PIPELINE?

BIDEN: ”If Russia invades, that means troops or tanks crossing the border of Ukraine again, there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.”

JIMMIE: PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN MADE THOSE COMMENTS IN A JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ OF GERMANY. 

WHAT ARE THE NORD STREAM PIPELINES? AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT TO RUSSIA AND GERMANY? LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT. 

NORD STREAM CONSISTS OF TWO OF EUROPE’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL OFFSHORE PIPELINES. 

THE PIPES STRETCH JUST OVER 700-MILES AND WERE BUILT UNDERNEATH THE BALTIC SEA… TO TRANSPORT NATURAL GAS FROM RUSSIA TO GERMANY. 

THE U-S, UKRAINE, AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE LONG OPPOSED THESE PROJECTS… IN FEAR IT WOULD INCREASE RUSSIA’S INFLUENCE OVER GERMANY.

NORD STREAM ONE WENT ONLINE IN 20-11. NORD STREAM TWO WAS COMPLETED IN 20-21. BUT, BEFORE NORD STREAM TWO CAN COME ONLINE, IT MUST RECEIVE APPROVAL FROM GERMAN REGULATORS. 

BIDEN AND THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR JOINED FORCES TO PUT PUTIN ON NOTICE.

IF YOU DON’T BACK OFF UKRAINE, THE SECOND PIPELINE BECOMES A PIPE DREAM… COSTING RUSSIA BILLIONS EACH YEAR.

GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ: “We are acting together. We are absolutely united, and we will not be taking any steps, we will do the same steps, and they will be very, very hard to Russia, and they should understand.”

JIMMIE: ACCORDING TO FORBES, THE 11-BILLION DOLLAR UNDERTAKING ALLOWS RUSSIA TO CAPITALIZE ON ITS AMPLE SUPPLY OF OIL AND GAS. 

EXPORTS OF THESE NATURAL RESOURCES MAKE UP ONE-THIRD OF THE COUNTRY’S GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT. 
IN 20-20 ALONE, RUSSIA WAS THE SECOND-LARGEST PRODUCER OF NATURAL GAS NEXT TO THE U-S, MAKING RUSSIA EUROPE’S BIGGEST IMPORTER. 

WILL BIDEN’S THREAT TO PREVENT RUSSIA’S USE OF NORD STREAM TWO BRING THE COUNTRY BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE? HE CERTAINLY THINKS SO.

BIDEN: ”I promise you we will be able to do it.”

JIMMIE: LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.