Trump asserts he ‘killed’ Nord Stream 2
Donald Trump asserted that he ‘killed’ Nord Stream 2 during his presidency. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has asserted that he was responsible for halting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which connects Russia and Germany through the Baltic Sea. This pipeline was never put into operation and sustained damage from sabotage in September 2022.
During a live interview with conservative journalist Tucker Carlson in Glendale, Arizona, Trump refuted longstanding claims of being a Russian sympathizer. “[The Democrats] love to say that I was a friend of Russia, I worked for Russia, I was a Russian spy,” he remarked, criticizing those who support this narrative as “sick” people.
He described Nord Stream 2 as one of Russia's most significant projects, stating, “I killed it. Nobody would kill it but me. I stopped it. The thing was half-built, dead,” although he did not provide additional details.
Trump went on to criticize President Joe Biden, whom he referred to as a “dumb guy,” for allowing the pipeline's construction to proceed while simultaneously canceling the Keystone XL pipeline designed to transport oil from Canada to the US.
He elaborated on his administration's stance, explaining that he expressed strong objections to Germany concerning its financial ties to Russia. “I say: ‘Let’s get this straight. We’re helping and guarding you from Russia, but you are paying Russia billions of dollars a month for oil. How is that working? I stopped that,” he said, lamenting that accusations of being pro-Russia persisted.
While Nord Stream 2 was intended to supplement the already operational Nord Stream 1, it was completed in 2021 but never commissioned, primarily due to concerns that the EU, especially Germany, would become overly reliant on Russian energy supplies. The Trump administration strongly opposed the project and imposed sanctions against it.
In 2021, as the pipeline neared completion, Biden waived certain restrictions, arguing that they were “counterproductive for European relations.” However, in February 2022, just days before the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the suspension of the pipeline’s certification following Russia's recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.
The pipelines were subsequently targeted by a series of underwater explosions in September 2022, resulting in significant leaks. Reports from Western media have suggested that Ukrainian intelligence may have orchestrated the sabotage, a claim dismissed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who asserted that Ukraine lacked the capabilities for such an operation. He implied that the US stood to benefit the most from the explosions.
Putin has also indicated that one string of the pipeline remains operational, but Germany has chosen not to use it due to political factors.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a live interview with conservative journalist Tucker Carlson in Glendale, Arizona, Trump refuted longstanding claims of being a Russian sympathizer. “[The Democrats] love to say that I was a friend of Russia, I worked for Russia, I was a Russian spy,” he remarked, criticizing those who support this narrative as “sick” people.
He described Nord Stream 2 as one of Russia's most significant projects, stating, “I killed it. Nobody would kill it but me. I stopped it. The thing was half-built, dead,” although he did not provide additional details.
Trump went on to criticize President Joe Biden, whom he referred to as a “dumb guy,” for allowing the pipeline's construction to proceed while simultaneously canceling the Keystone XL pipeline designed to transport oil from Canada to the US.
He elaborated on his administration's stance, explaining that he expressed strong objections to Germany concerning its financial ties to Russia. “I say: ‘Let’s get this straight. We’re helping and guarding you from Russia, but you are paying Russia billions of dollars a month for oil. How is that working? I stopped that,” he said, lamenting that accusations of being pro-Russia persisted.
While Nord Stream 2 was intended to supplement the already operational Nord Stream 1, it was completed in 2021 but never commissioned, primarily due to concerns that the EU, especially Germany, would become overly reliant on Russian energy supplies. The Trump administration strongly opposed the project and imposed sanctions against it.
In 2021, as the pipeline neared completion, Biden waived certain restrictions, arguing that they were “counterproductive for European relations.” However, in February 2022, just days before the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the suspension of the pipeline’s certification following Russia's recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.
The pipelines were subsequently targeted by a series of underwater explosions in September 2022, resulting in significant leaks. Reports from Western media have suggested that Ukrainian intelligence may have orchestrated the sabotage, a claim dismissed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who asserted that Ukraine lacked the capabilities for such an operation. He implied that the US stood to benefit the most from the explosions.
Putin has also indicated that one string of the pipeline remains operational, but Germany has chosen not to use it due to political factors.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
