President Biden on Monday vowed to put a stop to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, should Russia invade Ukraine.
“If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine, again, then there will be — there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2,” the president told reporters. “We will bring an end to it.”
Mr. Biden’s remarks came at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House. He did not say how he would stop the pipeline, and when asked, Mr. Biden responded, “I promise you, we’ll be able to do it.”
Scholz, too, fielded questions about the pipeline, and he declined to explicitly say Germany would cancel the pipeline in the event of Russian aggression in Ukraine, but he stressed that the U.S. and Germany are “absolutely united.”
“It is part of the this process that we do not spell out everything in public because Russia could understand that there might be even more to come, and at the same time, it is very clear we are well-prepared with far-reaching measures,” Scholz said through a translator. “We will take these measures together with our allies with our partners with the U.S., and we will take all necessary steps. You can be sure that there won’t be measures in which we have a differing approach; we will act together jointly.”
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was completed in September but is not yet being used, would funnel natural gas from Russia under the Baltic Sea to the European Union through Germany.
Mr. Biden said the U.S. would compensate Europe for the loss of gas if the pipeline shuts down, although he didn’t outline how. Scholz said that where gas is now used, Germany wants eventually to switch to hydrogen.
The press conference followed a meeting between Mr. Biden and Scholz, the first since the German chancellor took office at the end of last year. Mr. Biden said the topic of Russia and Ukraine was a focal point during their conversation.
Russia continues to have a large troop presence around Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron met at length with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
Mr. Biden said it would be wise for Americans still in Ukraine to leave. The president said he doesn’t know whether Putin plans to order an invasion, but he said he has warned him there will be severe economic consequences if he does.
— CBS News’ Arden Farhi contributed to this report.
