US Ambassador Tilts Nord Stream-2 Amid 'Problematic Russian Influence'

Although Germany and Finland have already issued permits for the gas pipeline construction, US resistance to the project is growing.

US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell has criticized the Nord Stream-2 project in an interview with the Funke Mediengruppe.

"We are very concerned about the pipeline project," the new US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell said.

"It's about Russian influence," he stated, adding that that project looks "very problematic".

According to him, the gas pipeline is a source of concern both in the United States and among European countries.

READ MORE: Discussions on Nord Stream 2 With Baltic States 'Will Continue' — German FM

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is projected to deliver 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas annually to the EU across the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.

Construction permits have already been issued by Germany and Finland.

Some EU countries, including Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States, have continuously spoken against Nord Stream 2, claiming that the project will increase Europe's dependence on imported Russian gas.

The project has also been opposed by the United States, which seeks to export its own liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe.