PoliticoUkraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to meet Joe Biden at White House in August
- The news comes as the United States nears a deal with Germany on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline
- Ukraine has expressed concerns about the Russia-Germany natural gas project, which would potentially reducing Ukraine’s role over regional energy commerce
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Quint Forgey on politico.com on July 21, 2021.
The news of Zelensky’s White House visit, scheduled for August 30, comes at a delicate moment in the alliance between Washington and Kyiv, as the United States nears a deal with Germany on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Ukraine has expressed concerns about the project, which would deliver inexpensive natural gas from Russia to Germany via a 764-mile-long pipeline under the Baltic Sea – potentially reducing Ukraine’s role over regional energy commerce.
But Germany has argued the completion of Nord Stream 2 is vital to its energy security, and Russia views the pipeline as a means of expanding its influence in Europe.
Amid negotiations between Washington and Berlin over the project, US officials have quietly urged their counterparts in Kyiv to refrain from public criticism of the potential pact – warning that such dissent could damage the Washington-Kyiv relationship.