Every party in German parliament says US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 inacceptable

All of the parties represented in the German parliament reject the economic sanctions threatened by the United States over the construction of the controversial natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 that connects Germany with Russia via the Baltic Sea. In a statement released by the parliament's committee on the economy and energy, in which every party from the right-wing nationalist AfD to the Green Party is represented, the MPs said that "there has been solid cross-party unanimity that these extra-territorial sanctions are in violation of international law and cannot be accepted." The committee's head, Klaus Ernst of the Left Party, said the group expects both the German government and the EU to draft "a clear and appropriate response" to the US threats, adding that the committee will deal with the Nord Stream 2 controversy again on 1 July when Germany takes over the rotating EU Council Presidency.

Germany says the pipeline project, which is also controversial within the EU, serves to facilitate its transition away from coal and nuclear power by providing additional gas import capacity. However, the US argues Nord Stream 2 undermines European security by making the bloc more reliant on Russia as an energy provider and says Germany should rather ramp up its imports of American Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) instead.