Candidate for the US Embassy in Berlin does not believe in Nord Stream 2

Washington The candidate for the post of US ambassador to Germany considers the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline a “bad deal”. On Tuesday, at a hearing on her appointment to the responsible committee in the US Senate, Amy Guttmann said it was “a bad deed for Germany, and for Ukraine, and a terrible thing for all of Europe and the United States.”

She was pleased to note that the new federal government headed by Chancellor Olaf Schulz depended on continuity in German foreign policy. However, I think there is still more and more to be done,” said the 72-year-old. This applies above all to the aggression of China or Russia against Ukraine.

Biden had nominated political scientist Gottman in the summer. The Senate has yet to approve the staffing. Republicans in the Capitol had recently significantly delayed the endorsements of diplomatic leaders. The background to this is also the controversy over Nord Stream 2. Guttmann is the president of the University of Pennsylvania. The 72-year-old woman of German-Jewish descent will be the first woman to hold the position in Berlin if it is approved by the Senate. As a scientist, she has received many awards.

“You have my promise to focus on diplomacy that opposes all threats and violations of human rights, especially by Russia and China,” Gottman said during questioning. Guttmann said Germany was one of Europe’s “most important allies”. “If confirmed, I would be happy to begin my work at this crucial point in our relationship, when a new German government enters the world stage.”