Trump administration claims early success in weaning Europe off Russian energy

The Trump administration is claiming early success in its efforts to get Europe to divest itself from Russian energy, saying recent export agreements with Poland are just the beginning.

“We are starting to see the European Parliament, in particular, take action,” Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.

Brouillette said that the parliament is beginning to discuss placing new regulations on the Russian Nord Stream II pipeline, which is slated to be built in Germany to supply energy to Europe.

The Trump administrationadamantly opposes the pipeline, pushing instead for Europe to diversify its energy supply with imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas.

The European Parliament passed a resolution on Dec. 12 that says the pipeline “poses a threat to European energy security.” On the same day, the U.S. House passed a bipartisan resolution opposing the pipeline. Brouillette claimed that, after initial resistance from Germany, European nations are becoming more willing to view the pipeline in a geostrategic light.

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