The Chief Executive Officer of the Austrian oil company OMV AG, Rainer Seele, told Handelsblatt on Tuesday that the letter sent to German companies by the United States Ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, is an "unacceptable threat" that relies on "confrontation rather than cooperation." The executive added that he "deeply regrets" the move.
Earlier in the month, Grenell reportedly warned in a letter to German energy firms that the Nord Stream 2 project with Russia "hinders" the diversification of Europe's energy sources, which also jeopardizes its energy security. The pipeline from Russia would bypass Ukraine, the diplomat warned, which could "mean the removal of a key strategic deterrent against Russian aggressive behavior" toward its southern neighbor. "Companies who support the building of these pipelines are actively undermining Ukraine and Europe's security," he stressed, referring to the second line of TurkStream as well.
Seele himself did not receive a letter from the ambassador, he explained, as OMV is not a German company. However, the executive underlined that "Europe should not be patronized by the US on energy issues," which is a sovereign right of both Germany and the whole bloc.