U.S. Reps Blast Biden Administration for Dropping EastMed Pipeline

Two members of Congress are urging the Biden administration to reverse its decision to withdrawing support for the EastMed Pipeline, a multi-billion dollar project to promote European energy independence that has been years in the making.

“The administration must realize the significant economic, environmental, and national security implications that are at stake in this matter and reconsider its decision to withdraw support for this critical project,” U.S. representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-Florida) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-New York) wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week.

Washington notified Israel, Greece and Cyprus it no longer supports the proposed EastMed natural-gas pipeline from Israel to Europe, reversing a policy of the Trump administration. The project was announced in 2016, and a series of agreements on it have been signed between the three countries toward completion of the €6 billion ($6.8b.) pipeline by 2025, though financing has yet to be secured.

In what they termed “a stern letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken vociferously objecting to the Administration’s recent reversal of support for the Eastern Mediterranean Pipeline,” the representatives argued that the policy reversal will adversely impact the western efforts to deter Russia from invading Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “is once again using Europe’s reliance on Russian gas to seek concessions from Europe… preparing to invade Ukraine in the middle of winter when energy demand is highest,” they wrote.

Furthermore, they called the policy change “hypocritical and offensive,” because of “the administration’s continued tacit approval of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, deepening Europe’s energy dependence on an adversary… Biden’s announcement last May to suspend sanctions on the Russian pipeline and his continued fight against sanctions shows clear preference toward Russia over our allies.”

In a separate statement, Malliotakis charged that President Joe Biden “is asleep at the wheel, and his decision-making could cause severe economic and national security consequences for America and our allies.”

The U.S. Embassy in Yerushalayim clarified last week that while Washington has dropped the pipeline deal, it “remains committed to the energy security and connectivity of the Eastern Mediterranean.”

That could translate into support for other projects, such as the EuroAsia interconnector linking Israeli, Cypriot and European electricity grids, “allowing for future exports of electricity produced by renewable energy sources, benefiting nations in the region.” The interconnector “would not only connect vital energy markets but also help prepare the region for the clean energy transition,” the embassy said.