EU Freezes Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Enrages Putin

European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis announced on Monday, that the Russia-designed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has been put on hold while the commission is looking into the project's compliance with Europe's energy policy.

Photo Insert: EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis speaks at the conclusion of his visit to Ukraine

He also warned that the European Union (EU) will do everything it can to ensure that Russia would not be able to use natural gas as a "weapon," like they appear to have done over the last few months.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pushing for the certification for the pipeline, which will transit gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea.

While the Kremlin has argued that this can double Europe’s gas supply and ease the surging prices seen in recent months, critics argue that it will give Putin more control over global energy markets.

Over the past year, Russia has applied pressure on the EU by reducing its gas supply, causing an energy crisis on the continent, with gas prices reaching record highs. In fact, for over 30 days running, Moscow has been diverting gas away from the East through the Yamal-Europe pipeline.

Last week, US President Joe Biden and his EU counterpart Ursula von der Leyen struck a deal to cooperate on alleviating Europe's energy crisis by reducing its dependency on gas imported from Russia.

Their joint statement said: “The US and the EU are working jointly towards continued, sufficient, and timely supply of natural gas to the EU from diverse sources across the globe to avoid supply shocks, including those that could result from a further Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

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