Germany Offered the US a Billion Redemption Fee for Nord Stream 2

Germany has expressed its readiness to allocate a billion euros for terminals construction aimed at receiving liquefied gas from the United States. In return, the United States should not have interfered with the Nord Stream 2 construction completion, Die Zeit reports. The German government, trying to save the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, has offered the US a billion redemption fee. Berlin has expressed its readiness to invest one billion euros in terminals’ construction in Germany to receive American liquefied gas, the weekly Die Zeit online edition reported on Wednesday, September 16. There is no official confirmation of this information. During the government press conference in Berlin, on Wednesday, representative of the Ministry of Finance of Germany refused answering the relevant journalists’ questions. "We do not comment on individual press reports," he said. Berlin's oral and written proposal Meanwhile, according to the publication, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz in early August, first orally and then written conveyed to his American colleague Stephen Mnuchin the Berlin's proposal to finance the construction of two special ports in Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven aimed at importing the liquefied gas from the United States. In a written proposal sent to Washington on August 7, the FRG government promises to "massively increase state support" for the construction of these terminals allocating an additional amount of up to one billion euros. Do not interfere with the construction and operation of the gas pipeline In return, the federal government asked for broad concessions from the US administration. "As a reciprocal gesture, the United States will allow the construction and operation of Nord Stream 2 to be completed without hindrance," Zeit Online quoted the German government message. The document stresses that "the existing legal possibilities for sanctions will not be exhausted." In July, the US administration threatened to impose penalties on businesses involved in the construction of the new gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The threat to impose sanctions was also addressed to the port of the German city of Sassnitz and the burgomaster of Sassnitz. Online Zeit cited President Donald Trump's desire to have Germany buy American gas instead of Russian gas as one of the reasons of the United States pressure. At the same time, Washington fears that Nord Stream 2 will make Germany too dependent on Russian gas. For the same reason, Trump's predecessor, former president of the United States, Barack Obama opposed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as well.