Merkel Ally Pushes Back on Trump Envoy's Russian Pipeline Threat

  • U.S. Ambassador warns in letter of possible pipeline sanctions
  • Kramp-Karrenbauer dismisses pressure over Nord Stream 2
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer with Angela Merkel.Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
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The new leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party took the U.S. ambassador to Germany to task for warning companies involved in a Russian gas pipeline that they could face sanctions.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer -- who last month succeeded Merkel as leader of the Christian Democratic Union -- dismissed letters sent by Richard Grenell to companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as an “unusual” diplomatic move that wouldn’t impact the project to boost Russian gas supplies to Germany. Grenell is a close ally of President Donald Trump.