Biden Team Trips All Over Itself With Their Flip-Flopping on Nord Stream 2 Sanctions – Opinion

Germany announced this week that they were going to halt the certification on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline because of Russia’s actions against Ukraine. Today, the White House announced that Joe Biden would be putting the sanctions back on the pipeline that he’d previously waived last May. In January when Senator Ted Cruz (R. Texas) was proposing to reinstate the sanctions, Biden refused. Biden lobbied against it, and even utilized the filibuster rule that the Democrats had been claiming was “Jim Crow 2.0” to stop the bill from passing. Biden has done everything — right down the line — that would help Vladimir Putin and Russia.

This would be a great question to ask the Biden Administration, and it is logical. We are here, and you have to go back on the things you did before. Isn’t that an admission that your previous actions were a failure? If you’re looking for feckless reactions, here are some examples from Biden officials.

Let’s start with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asking White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki whether this  is a “big shift” for them. Oh, no, Psaki claims, “We don’t see it as a shift at all.”

Great question from CNN’s @KaitlanCollins: “Last month, the WH opposed an effort on Capitol Hill to put sanctions on this pipeline. Last year…Biden waived the sanctions…Today, he is imposing [them]….Can you just explain the changes?”

Psaki says it’s not “a shift at all” pic.twitter.com/jIeId1ZgTa

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 23, 2022

“We felt a diplomatic approach would be the most effective approach and we have succeeded in our efforts,” Psaki declared.

They have succeeded in this? Russia has invaded Ukraine. This is a failure. And it’s a lie that the Biden team has ‘always been against it.’ If that were so, why did they lift sanctions last year? This is absurd and allowed Russia to have more control in Europe, while Biden was reducing our energy production.

They talk so loudly, how can anyone believe them?

The AP’s Matt Lee – one of the few who asks intelligent questions consistently – grilled State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Nord Stream 2 as well. Collins was more direct, but he was still as clear and concise as Price. Price’s answer wasn’t any better than that of Psaki.

Lee noted the Biden team has been claiming that lifting the waivers last year gave them more leverage, but, he says, that “clearly it didn’t provide any leverage at all,” given the invasion. “How do you explain why you didn’t impose these sanctions sooner?” Lee asked.

.@APDiploWriter Matt Lee: “On Nord Stream 2, you guys have been saying…the waivers…gave you additional leverage…Clearly, it didn’t…provide you w/any leverage at all…b/c of…the invasion…How do you explain to people why you didn’t impose these sanctions earlier?” pic.twitter.com/cESIZ00y9P

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 23, 2022

The question is never answered by price. The better question, however, is “Why did they lift them one year ago?”

Lee insists.

Reporter: “I don’t understand why you don’t think that you would’ve had more leverage if the sanctions had been imposed before the pipeline was finished?”@StateDeptSpox: “The pipeline, when this administration came into office, was more than 90 percent complete.” pic.twitter.com/XMVhSOwsVK

— The Hill (@thehill) February 23, 2022

The U.S. had been adamant that they would do everything possible to keep the project alive. Until Biden. Something being 90 percent finished equals… still not complete. Biden, however, ruined it all by lifting the sanctions on Putin and encouraging him to do so. According to Price and Psaki, it’s ‘success’ if they get Germany to agree to the sanctions that the U.S. ignorantly took off then put back on. Um, guys, that isn’t stopping Russia at this point — that’s what you’re supposed to be focused on, and you let him get away with far too much.

Even though they know the Russian leverage that the pipeline would provide, Biden’s team refuses to declare the stoppage of the pipeline permanent. The Biden team could change their minds tomorrow, and give Putin the advantage.

Reporter: “Nord Stream 2 sanctions, are those permanent?”

State Department Spokesman: “There is no sanction in any responsible sanctions program around the world that is permanent” pic.twitter.com/EbkML14jHM

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) February 23, 2022

It was the time when foreign policy was grounded on logic, reason, and the best interests of the country.

#TrumpAt #NATOSummit2018: “It’s sad that Germany has made a huge oil and gas agreement with Russia. Where you should be protecting against Russia, it is.” pic.twitter.com/zUT44I4bjg

— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) July 11, 2018