US, Germany reach a deal on its controversial pipeline to Russia

The Biden administration announced an agreement with Germany on Wednesday that would allow the completion of the controversial Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

"While we remain opposed to the pipeline, we reached the judgment that sanctions would not stop its construction and risked undermining a critical alliance with Germany, as well as with the EU and other European allies," a senior State Department official said according to CNN.

In the deal, Germany agreed to take a series of measures to reduce the risk of European reliance on Russian energy. Russia, in the past, has cut off the supply of gas to other countries such as Ukraine before. 

"Germany has really committed to taking swift action," the official said. "There are a number of tools that Germany and the EU have at their disposal to push back against Russian aggression or malign activities."

Officials say the pipeline is 95% of the way done and would carry gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea.

Ukraine is not happy with the deal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that the pipeline "threatens Ukraine's security, violates the diversification principle of the EU Energy Union," adding that "notes to Brussels and Berlin already sent."