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BERLIN, Dec. 24-- Following a last-ditch effort by the United States last week to stop Nord Stream 2 through imposing sanctions against companies involved in the construction of the nearly finished gas pipeline, Germany has remained surprisingly calm and refrained from any direct countermeasures. Although German Chancellor Angela Merkel was critical of the U.S. sanctions, she avoided any radical responses such as punitive measures on U.S. companies in return and is instead seeking to find a solution through negotiations. "I see no other option than to hold talks, but very firm talks," Merkel said last week, noting "we are against extraterritorial sanctions." With around 160 kilometers left, the pipeline is designed to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. Scheduled to start operation in 2020, the 1,230-kilometer-long pipeline could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Following the U.S. sanctions, offshore service provider Allseas, a main contractor in laying the pipes for Nord Stream 2 which is headquartered in Switzerland, immediately announced to suspend its Nord Stream 2 pipelay activities. Last year, ahead of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, U.S. President Donald Trump called Germany a "captive of Russia" for obtaining 60 to 70 percent of its energy and a new pipeline from Russia which was "very inappropriate" and a "very bad thing for NATO." | 
