Germany is set on blocking the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from becoming operational, as it could be part of ongoing discussions between the U.S. and Russia. The country's government is taking assertive steps to prevent the launch of Nord Stream 2 as a potential component of clandestine U.S.-Russia negotiations. Germany's government is concerned about the prospect of this pipeline being incorporated into a broader agreement involving Russian gas supplies to Europe, notes the German newspaper Bild .