Feds share U.S. concern about Russian gas pipeline

The Trudeau government and the Trump administration have found a rare patch of common ground at the NATO summit in Brussels — shared concern about a proposed Russian pipeline that would cross through the Baltic Sea into Germany.

Canada has “significant concerns” with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, which would bring gas from Russia to the Baltic coast of Germany, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday.

She said she has discussed the issue with Ukraine, which opposes the pipeline because of the leverage it would give Russia over European countries.

At the summit’s opening, U.S. President Donald Trump railed against what he characterized as a “massive gas deal” between Germany and Russia, calling it inappropriate. He said the deal makes Germany “captive” to and “totally controlled” by Russia, and he urged NATO leaders to take a closer look at it.