The US opposes the 1200 kilometer pipeline on its threatened to impose sanctions on companies involved in the project, which is nearly finished.

Washington says North Stream two will make Europe more dependent on Russian gas deliveries, and it will allow Russia to cut off supplies to countries like Ukraine.

A.

Biden's team has already spoken out against the project, saying President Biden will seek to strengthen Europe's energy independence, but he will continue to impose or post North Stream two as a fundamentally bad deal for Europe.

For more.

Let's bring in Benjamin Schmidt.

He's a former European energy security adviser at the US Department of State on he's a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University.

Good to have you with us on this program, So please, can you explain to us Why is Washington so worried about Europe's energy security?

Well, good early morning, Monica.

It's great to be on Deutsche.

Avella is always.

I'm glad that you had the belt and road Initiative from China is a is a lead into this story because really, there's a lot of synergies between what what Russia does with Visa Vee Energy?

Uh, infrastructure deals like Nord Stream two on what China is doing with critical infrastructure around the world.

It's not debt trap diplomacy when it comes to Moscow, but it is influenced projection.

And the U.

S is indeed concerned with Europe's energy security because it's fundamental to the national security of our closest allies.

This speaks directly to those concerns with Nord Stream two.

Since it was completed, it would hurt both the economic and strategic stability of Ukraine.

It flies in the face of the European Energy Union's own concept on diversification away from Russian energy.

Resource is, and I think Mawr concerning in the past few years has been the fact that it provides a platform for Russian malign influence.

Strategic corruption in elite capture across the West.

On the truth of the matter is, it's not just the concerns from the United States, but many others across the European continent, not just pulling in Ukraine, but the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden and Denmark have also spoken out within the United States, also also within the EU There are sort of different views on that.

Uh, granted nevertheless, it is somewhat weird that one big nation tells ah, whole block off 27 member states what to do.

I mean, how would Washington react if the U turned around and say, Listen, guys, we don't like the way you do fracking or or look for oil in Alaska.

How would that go down?

I mean, I think there is a lot of, ah, lot of concerns with the way that we do fracking and look for oil in Alaska.

Those air those are legitimate.

Those are things that we should be talking about.

Um, But when it comes to Nord Stream two, uh, there's really national security concerns that are fundamental to both the U.

S.

And across the EU.

Um, and many in Washington continue to hope that Berlin will ultimately just reject North Stream two on these grounds.

Because the last time I was on Deutsche Avella, what we were talking about just a few weeks ago was that Germany itself was on the precipice of rejecting the project because of the Kremlin option.

Opposition leader Navalny is poisoning, right?

I mean, I know There was a lot of a lot of debate here.

But so far Berlin is holding on to the North Stream.

Two, uh, pipeline project on just briefly, if you would.

I mean, how does this boat for?

Well, hopefully new relations between Europe between Germany and the United States under a Biden administration?

That's a great question.

First of all, we have to remember that opposition to Nord Stream two is bipartisan.

It's it's not tied to Mr Trump has been been the case of a of a lot of Nord Stream two proponents trying to make this a trump issue of guilt by association issue.

Of course, the detrimental policies of Mr Trump, including the withdrawal of troops stationed in Germany, uh, trade proposals that were damaging those all I believe will go away because they've been very unpopular.

Leaders of both parties in Washington.

Um, but when it comes to Nord Stream two at its core, it's a national security issue.

Okay, Well, thank you so much, Benjamin Schmidt.

And as you mentioned earlier for you, it is a very, very early morning.

A very early start to the day.

So thank you for making time for us.

Benjamin Schmidt, their postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University.

Former European energy security adviser at the US Department of State.

Thank you.

Feeling dung?

Yeah.