I can understand why Trump opposed Nord Stream 2. Germany would receive billions from the US for NATO defense, against Russia, and then happily spend its own billions with Russia buying gas and oil.
But, I think the truth is, if you want to see the kind of threat NATO is designed to guard against end in Europe, then you should want the commercial intercourse with Russia that such activity represents.
Why is Germany in NATO? West Germany, when there were two, sure. But who is Germany guarding in NATO with leaky, rusty, non-functional GDR era missiles?
I am thinking that NATO is the Swamp and that it would not scale itself back at the fall of the Soviet Union, or at least plan to replace defense with peaceful commerce.
We all certainly need to know more than we do, to decide what our “leaders” are forcing on us.
With the EU there is no free commerce in Europe.