Quote:Associated Press reporter Matt Lee grilled State Department spokesman Ned Price on Wednesday over a deal that the Biden administration made with Germany to allow for the completion of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Price said that the administration came to the conclusion, “as any rational observer would, that sanctions are unlikely to stop, to stand in the way of the completion of the pipeline, to prevent the pipeline’s construction. And so, that is why this administration determined that it was not in our interest to significantly undermine, to weaken our bilateral relationship, our ally, the relationship we have with our ally, Germany…”

The exchange continued:

PRICE: But one other point I want to really emphasize here: We are committed to following the law; we are committed to continuing to examine entities that have engaged in potentially sanctionable activity. Any decisions on sanctions or sanctions-related decisions, those will be made on a case-by-case basis consistent with the law.

LEE: Okay. Well, just three very quick points. One. If you’re committed to following the law, then you would actually follow the law, right? Which says that —

MR PRICE: And we have, correct.

LEE: Well, I think that a lot of people think that’s debatable. The second thing is that you say “any rational observer” would realize that sanctions wouldn’t stop this. Well, are you saying that members of Congress, who are Democrats as well as Republicans, are irrational?

MR PRICE: We have looked at this —

LEE: Are you saying that Senator Shaheen is irrational, that Senator Menendez is irrational —

MR PRICE: We —

LEE: — because they think that this could actually be stopped?

MR PRICE: We’ve looked at this issue very closely, and we have examined —

LEE: And they haven’t?

MR PRICE: I’m speaking for us.

LEE: Oh, right. So you —

MR PRICE: I’m the spokesperson for the Department of State.

LEE: So you know more than they do? That’s the idea?

Link

So, the administration cancels a major pipeline that would benefit a key ally, Canada, and gives the green light to a major pipeline that will greatly benefit a key opponent, Russia, while harming another key ally, Ukraine. Ok, got it.

Biden Tried to Silence the Ukrainians but They're Exposing the Threat He's Created

Quote:What kind of kompromat does Russia have on Joe Biden? Because had President Donald Trump done the things that Biden has done in regard to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Democrats and media would be screaming to high heaven.

Not only did Biden reverse America’s longstanding opposition to the completion of the pipeline by waiving sanctions on the Russia-controlled company involved, but as I reported a few days ago, the Biden team had been leaning on the Ukrainians and folks in Eastern Europe to keep quiet and not voice their objections to the deal that Biden has worked out with Germany to allow the completion.

Politico reported that they’ve been told by four people “with knowledge of the conversations” that the U.S. has been telling Ukraine to shut up about any opposition, not to go public with it, and not to talk to Congress about their concerns, unless they want to “damage” the relationship they have with the Biden administration.

But to Ukraine’s credit, they’re refusing to shut up, despite the threat by Biden to go along to get along. And Poland is also objecting to the threat that Biden is creating by this deal.

From Politico:

Ukraine has demanded formal talks with Brussels and Berlin on the pipeline, known as Nord Stream 2, invoking a clause of its agreement with the EU on political association and economic integration. Kyiv’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, also sent a joint statement with his counterpart in Poland, saying efforts to allay their concerns “cannot be considered sufficient.”

The Ukrainian-Polish statement says U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to stop opposing the pipeline “has created political, military and energy threat for Ukraine and Central Europe, while increasing Russia’s potential to destabilize the security situation in Europe, perpetuating divisions among NATO and European Union member states.”

Not only is Biden threatening Ukraine and trying to shut them up, but he didn’t even meet with the Ukrainians prior to coming to this deal with Germany. He’s treating Ukraine like they are yesterday’s news while buddying up to Vladimir Putin as Russians cyber attack us. He doesn’t have a meeting planned with Ukraine’s president until August 30, after the deal is expected to be finished by August 19. What’s also special about that date? Congress won’t be in session and the Ukrainian president then can’t register his objections in person with Congress. Just one more piece of evidence that the Biden team is trying to shut down any objections.

Biden is throwing our allies under the bus and endangering the stability of Europe that we’ve tried to ensure since World War II. This gives Russia a foothold we’ve been trying to avoid for decades and Joe just hands it right over. If Trump had done this, we’d already be hearing about impeachment.

The Kyiv Post has an opinion piece calling him “Blinking, wimping Biden” and calling the deal a “disgraceful shambles.” Somehow, I’m not thinking that they think “America is back” with Joe Biden in charge.

But interestingly, even some Democrats are objecting because they know how bad this is. So why is this being allowed?