While the eastern members of the European Union wanted new sanctions aimed at stopping Nord Stream 2, the rest of the continent reacted differently. “Europe’s energy supply is a matter for Europe, not the United States of America,” said Germany’s foreign minister and Austria’s chancellor in a joint statement. “Instruments for political sanctions should not be tied to economic interests.” It was difficult for Europeans to see the connection between Russian meddling in U.S. elections and a natural gas pipeline in Europe.
