1、www.crs.gov | 7-5700 August 7, 2018Nord Stream 2: A Geopolitical Lightning RodAt the July 2018 NATO Summit in Brussels, President Donald Trump criticized German support for a natural gas pipeline project, Nord Stream 2, that would allow Germany to increase the amount of natural gas it imports direct
2、ly from Russia via the Baltic Sea (see Figure 1). Although the President later suggested he expected the project would move forward, his comments underlined U.S. support for energy diversification in Europe and revived interest in potential sanctions against pipelines that could increase dependence
3、on Russian energy. Background U.S. policymakers have supported European Union (EU) efforts to reduce reliance on Russian natural gas, especially after Moscow temporarily halted exports via Ukraine in 2009 and 2006. Although European governments have generally supported the goal of diversification, t
4、hey have been challenged to reduce Europes dependence on Russian natural gas, which accounted for 37% of European imports in 2017, up 5% from the previous year. Analysts cite various impediments to reducing European reliance on Russian gas, including divergent perceptions within Europe on the reliab
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