Foreign Policy
Democrats have consistently supported sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but they won’t go against the president as he engages in fraught talks with Russia.
The Senate is preparing to vote next week on legislation from Sen. Ted Cruz that would force the president to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. | Tom Williams/Pool via AP
By ANDREW DESIDERIO
01/05/2022 07:16 PM EST
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Top Senate Democrats have long opposed a Russian natural gas pipeline that’s set to enrich Vladimir Putin. But those lawmakers are putting those concerns aside to back up President Joe Biden as he navigates increasingly precarious talks with Moscow.
Democrats have consistently supported sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, arguing that the project will jeopardize Europe’s energy security and allow Putin to blackmail his enemies. But as the Senate prepares to vote next week on legislation from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that would force Biden to impose those sanctions, Democrats on Wednesday signaled a significant shift in their posture.
The reason, Democrats say, is that they don’t want to undermine Biden while he engages with Russia over its military buildup on the border with Ukraine. As Putin flirts with an invasion of the U.S. ally, Democrats argued Cruz’s legislation would undercut Biden as he seeks to project unity with European allies — and would remove a key leverage point in the talks.