Construction work for Nord Stream 2, the planned Russian gas pipeline to Europe, has started in German coastal waters, despite the threat of sanctions from United States president Donald Trump and condemnation from across the European Union.
The contentious pipeline, which will double Russian gas imports to Germany across the Baltic Sea and reduce shipments through Ukraine, has heightened geopolitical tensions between Europe, the U.S. and Russia, souring relations between Berlin and Washington and highlighting the EU’s fractured stance towards Moscow.
