The United States and Germany reached an agreement to allow completion of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a thorny, long-standing point of contention between the otherwise stalwart allies. The agreement reached between Washington and Berlin, which was announced on Wednesday, aims to invest more than 200 million euros in energy security in Ukraine as well as sustainable energy across Europe. “Should Russia attempt to use energy as a weapon or commit further aggressive acts against Ukraine, Germany will take action at the national level and press for effective measures at the European level, including sanctions ... (full story)