US pledges one billion dollars for Eastern Europe energy projects, argues against Nord Stream 2

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced one billion dollars in funding to support energy projects in Eastern and Central Europe as part of an effort to reduce the region’s dependence on Russian oil and gas, business daily Handelsblatt reports. The funding, which was announced Saturday at the annual Munich Security Conference, will go to the 12 nations in the “Three Seas Initiative,” which includes Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and the Baltic states, among others. The U.S. has long argued that Europe is too dependent on Russia for oil and gas imports, and Pompeo reiterated the American administration's opposition to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, which will directly connect Russia and Germany. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on companies working on the project, delaying its completion.

American officials have pushed Germany to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. instead, and Germany is considering constructing three new LNG import terminals. But, as Deutsche Welle reports, German environmental activists oppose the projects, and say investing in more fossil fuel infrastructure runs counter to the nation’s climate goals.