Merkel Defends Deal For Putin's Gas; Fumes Over Taunts By Trump Admin



Donald Trump is really starting to ruffle Angela Merkel's feathers, as the German chancellor continues to fend off attacks by the Trump administration over the $10.8 billion (9.5 billion-euro) 758-mile (1,220 km) 'Nord Stream 2' undersea gas pipeline between Germany and Russia, according to Bloomberg. 

U.S. diplomats leaned on officials in Paris and Brussels to join their opposition to the Nord Stream 2 project over the past 10 days as Merkel thrashed out an agreement over the plan with France, the people said. -Bloomberg

In January, the US ambassador to Berlin, Richard Grenell, sent letters to German companies working on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline warning them of "significant risk of sanctions" if they don't abandon the project. The letter suggested that the pipeline would make Europe dependent on Moscow, increasing the threat of Russian interventions. 
The Nord Stream 2 project is headed up by former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who is also a consultant to bank Rothschild. 
On Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence urged EU nations to reject the undersea pipeline during a speech in front of Merkel and other world leaders at the Munich Security Conference. 

Merkel fought back
The German chancellor had harsh words for the Trump administration - delivering an impassioned speech to Security Conference attendees defending the multilateral order "challenged by Trump," according to Bloomberg, earning a standing ovation from the audienced filled with presidents, prime ministers and senior defense officials. 
"Merkel was on fire," said former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt via Twitter. 

Merkel was apparently "pleased" with the response to her address according to her chief spokesman, Steffen Seibert, who said she also had some "really very good discussions afterward" with allies from other nations. 
Trump's criticism of Germany for relying on Russian gas is nothing new. In July, he slammed Germany for being "captive of Russia because it is getting so much of its energy from Russia." 

"It’s very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia where we’re supposed to be guarding against Russia and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia," Trump said before meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday morning, according to a Bloomberg report from last year. 

Trump's criticisms have threatened to leave Merkel isolated among her European allies, where many leaders have expressed concern over their increasing reliance on Russia, as well as risks of undermining Ukraine - which earns $2 billion a year in transit fees for Russian gas delivered through a competing pipeline.