National security advisor Jake Sullivan meanwhile told reporters that Biden told Zelensky “he looks forward to welcoming him to the White House ... this summer after he returns from Europe.”
The pipeline, which is roughly 95 percent complete, would double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream duct to deliver gas to Europe from Russia through Germany under the Baltic Sea, weakening European energy security. It’s expected to be completed this year, with Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing on June 3 that the first of the two lines is now complete and that Russia’s majority state energy company Gazprom is “ready to start filling Nord Stream 2 with gas.”
“Nord Stream 2, according to our understanding—according to the security understanding of not only Europe, I am sure, but also of the United States of America as our strategic partner—we understand that this is a weapon, a real weapon … in the hands of the Russian Federation,” Zelensky said.
“It is not very understandable, I feel, and definitely not expected, that the bullets to this weapon can possibly be provided by such a great country as the United States.”
Russia has previously cut fuel deliveries to Ukraine and parts of Europe in winter amid pricing disputes.
The Ukrainian president said Biden had offered him “direct signals” that the United States was prepared to block the pipeline. The White House said as recently as January that the president believes the pipeline is a “bad deal for Europe.”
Biden said although he opposed the project from the beginning, the pipeline is now nearly finished and cited the importance of good relations with Germany.
Zelensky said he understands the importance of the relationship between the United States and Germany, but stated: “How many Ukrainian lives does the relationship between the U.S. and Germany cost?”
Biden and Putin are expected to “discuss the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the U.S.–Russia relationship” in person next week, Psaki said.
