"From my point of view, we have attributed it [Nord Stream 2] a completely overblown importance, which it will not have in a long run," Haber said during a virtual conference hosted by the Brookings Institution.
The ambassador noted that both the US and Germany have declared a goal to switch completely to fossil-free fuels by 2050 and in the meantime will be significantly reducing the segment.
US critics of the project tend to overlook what the European Union and Germany did to alleviate concerns about the continent’s reliance on Russian energy supplies, including reversed flow provisions or the trilateral negotiations with Ukraine, she also said.
"I must say, I heard so often ‘You are feeding the beast. You are, Germany is feeding Russian disruptive policies in the Ukraine...’ If that is the argument then we should also factor in the oil imports from Russia that come to the United States," Haber added.
Nord Stream 2 is a joint venture of Russian energy company Gazprom and five European partners, aimed at the construction of a twin pipeline to deliver Russian gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea. The project is a target of criticism and sanctions by United States, which calls it a threat to energy security of Europe and Ukraine.