Name: Russia's enemies fear Biden won't fight to stop Putin's Nord Stream 2 pipeline
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Russia's enemies fear Biden won't fight to stop Putin's Nord Stream 2 pipeline

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Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty ImagesRussia's adversaries in central and Eastern Europe are worried President Biden isn't willing to fight hard to stop the Russia-Germany gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 — one of Vladimir Putin's core priorities.Why it matters: The fight is the first significant test of whether Biden's tough rhetoric against the Russian leader will be matched by action. Russian opponents fear Biden doesn't want to antagonize Angela Merkel and won't inflict serious costs on the Germans.The big picture: The completion of Nord Stream 2 would be a huge geopolitical win for Putin and give him substantial new leverage in Europe. Russia has cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine as retribution in disputes.Driving the news: Until now, messages of concern have been conveyed to the Americans privately. But on Monday, a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios: "The Ukrainians are a bit disappointed that President Biden did not commit during the to use every tool in his power to stop Nord Stream 2." The comments follow an unusual joint public statement Monday from the Polish and Ukrainian governments.Behind the scenes: On Friday, the State Department submitted a mandatory report to Congress that was supposed to list all the vessels involved in Nord Stream 2 construction, as well as any insurance firms or other companies involved in the pipeline.Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned the report as weak and incomplete. Between the lines: America's partners in Eastern and central Europe want Biden to make clear he's willing to do whatever it takes to stop the pipeline from being completed.While Team Biden has said the pipeline is a "bad deal" and that they want to stop it, the administration done little so far to suggest it's willing to lean into the fight.President Biden committed the U.S. to "working in lockstep with our allies and partners" to protect democracy and promote prosperity, telling the Munich Security Conference on Friday: "Democracy doesn't happen by&nbsp;accident.&nbsp;We have to defend it.&nbsp;Fight for it.&nbsp;Strengthen it.&nbsp;Renew it."Why it matters: In his first major speech to world leaders, Biden acknowledged that four years of former President Trump's "America First" foreign policy has left the transatlantic relationship in disrepair. White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond told "Axios on HBO" that it's "doable" for President Biden to make first-term progress on breaking down barriers for people of color, while Congress studies reparations for slavery. Why it matters: Biden said on the campaign trail that he supports creation of a commission to study and develop proposals for reparations — direct payments for African-Americans.Any future real-world conflict between the United States and an adversary like China or Russia will have direct impacts on regular Americans because of the risk of cyber attack, Kevin Mandia, CEO of cybersecurity company FireEye, tells "Axios on HBO."What they're saying: "The next conflict where the gloves come off in cyber, the American citizen will be dragged into it, whether they want to be or not. Period."Sign up for Mike Allen’s daily Axios AM and PM newsletters to get smarter, faster on the news that matters.

Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty ImagesRussia's adversaries in central and Eastern Europe are worried President Biden isn't willing to fight hard to stop the Russia-Germany gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 — one of Vladimir Putin's core priorities.Why it matters: The fight is the first significant test of whether Biden's tough rhetoric against the Russian leader will be matched by action. Russian opponents fear Biden doesn't want to antagonize Angela Merkel and won't inflict serious costs on the Germans.The big picture: The completion of Nord Stream 2 would be a huge geopolitical...

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Jonathan Swan is a political reporter at Axios covering both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.

https://www.axios.com/authors/jonathanswan

Jonathan Swan

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Russia's enemies fear Biden won't fight to stop Putin's Nord Stream 2 pipeline

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