(CNN) The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his counterparts from eight European countries slammed an agreement by Washington and Berlin that will allow the completion of Nord Stream 2, the controversial natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. In the past, Russia has cut off energy supplies to other countries, including Ukraine. "We need to make a collective commitment to increase support to the security and defence capabilities of Ukraine in order to prevent a deepening of the current security crisis, exacerbated by the threats created by Nord Stream 2." The chairpersons "insist that any further agreements on Nord Stream 2 necessitate consultations across the transatlantic family. Moreover, such diplomacy should happen with the fundamental principle in mind - countering malign Russian aggression is in all of NATO's, all EU members, and our partners in Central and Eastern Europe vital national security interests."

Source: CNN August 02, 2021 17:58 UTC