As Twitchy reported, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained that President Biden imposing sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline after lifting them last year was not a shift in policy; “We don’t see it as a shift at all,” she told reporters.
Confirming he's imposing sanctions on Nord Stream 2, which he waived last year, Biden says, "These steps are another piece of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine…We will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate."
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 23, 2022
Also asked about the sanctions was State Department spokesman Ned Price. Asked why the State Department didn’t think it would have had move leverage if the sanctions had been imposed before the pipeline was finished, Price answered that the pipeline was more than 90 percent finished when Biden took office.
Reporter: “I don’t understand why you don’t think that you would’ve had more leverage if the sanctions had been imposed before the pipeline was finished?”@StateDeptSpox: “The pipeline, when this administration came into office, was more than 90 percent complete.” pic.twitter.com/XMVhSOwsVK
— The Hill (@thehill) February 23, 2022
You might recall that Biden gave reporters a similar answer last May when asked about lifting the sanctions on Nord Stream 2:
BIDEN: "I have been opposed to Nord Stream 2 from the beginning but it's almost completed… Impose sanctions now would be counterproductive in terms of our European relations." pic.twitter.com/IhJKIW35iP
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 25, 2021
As people noted at the time, the border wall was almost completed, and so was the Keystone XL pipeline.
Lol Putin has all the leverage, Obama learned this years ago when he annexed Crimea and bullied into the middle East.
Biden administration trying so hard to save face while having pie fall from it.— Excaljbur 🗯 🐇🕳💊 (@Lisan_al_Mahdi) February 23, 2022
Ned is so bad at this
— Osgood Schlatter (@ruhrohlol) February 23, 2022
Democrats filibustered Ted Cruz’s bill to slap sanctions on the pipeline… the same sanctions that Biden has now imposed…
— One Random Person (@Bodhi3323) February 23, 2022
That is an evasive response. Why can't these folks give a direct response to a direct question?
— Louis⛪Kuhelj (@LouisKuhelj) February 23, 2022
🙄
What % complete were the pipelines IN OUR OWN COUNTRY when he sanctioned them?
— William Gaines (@WilliamFGaines) February 23, 2022
90% complete is incomplete and unusable.
— Tony Huneycutt 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@tonyhuneyc) February 23, 2022
You beat me to it.
— L L (@llggs5) February 23, 2022
When did it start getting built? 2011-12? Who was Vice President then? Oh yeah. Joe. Who told the Russians he'd more leverage to negotiate after the elections? Oh yeah… Barry.
— BrandonGault (@BrandonGault76) February 23, 2022
Non-answer. We knew it was 90% done. That’s why President Trump stopped it. In its tracks. Biden has pudding for a spine and idiots for foreign policy advisors. pic.twitter.com/31tJDpAxaX
— Lynnie ❤️ 🇺🇸 (@LynnieLorenz) February 23, 2022
So the Biden White House always opposed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline but lifted the sanctions because it was almost finished anyway.
Related:
Jen Psaki says Biden imposing Nord Stream 2 sanctions after opposing them multiple times isn’t a policy ‘shift’ https://t.co/MqfFpWXtdY
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 23, 2022