Germany announced this week that they were going to halt the certification on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline because of Russia’s actions against Ukraine. Today, the White House announced that Joe Biden would be putting the sanctions back on the pipeline that he’d previously waived last May. He refused to even put them back on in January, when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) had a bill to put the sanctions back on. Biden lobbied against it, and even utilized the filibuster rule that the Democrats had been claiming was “Jim Crow 2.0” to stop the bill from passing. Biden has done everything — right down the line — that would help Vladimir Putin and Russia.

So now, for any logical person, this would raise a good question for the Biden Administration. Here we are, with you having to put back on what you took off before. Isn’t that an admission that your previous actions were a failure? But, if you want to see feckless responses, get a load of these reactions from Biden officials.

Let’s start with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asking White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki whether this  is a “big shift” for them. Oh, no, Psaki claims, “We don’t see it as a shift at all.”

Great question from CNN’s @KaitlanCollins: “Last month, the WH opposed an effort on Capitol Hill to put sanctions on this pipeline. Last year…Biden waived the sanctions…Today, he is imposing [them]….Can you just explain the changes?”

Psaki says it’s not “a shift at all” pic.twitter.com/jIeId1ZgTa

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 23, 2022

“We felt a diplomatic approach would be the most effective approach and we have succeeded in our efforts,” Psaki declared.

How have they succeeded? Russia is invading Ukraine. How is that a success? And it’s a lie that the Biden team has ‘always been against it.’ If that were so, why did they lift sanctions last year? It makes no sense and gave Russia the foothold it needed in Europe to dictate more, all while Biden was hurting our own energy production.

How do they expect anyone to believe them, when they talk out of both sides of their mouth so much?

The AP’s Matt Lee – one of the few who asks intelligent questions consistently – grilled State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Nord Stream 2 as well. He was even more direct than Collins. Price’s answer wasn’t any better than that of Psaki.

Lee noted the Biden team has been claiming that lifting the waivers last year gave them more leverage, but, he says, that “clearly it didn’t provide any leverage at all,” given the invasion. “How do you explain why you didn’t impose these sanctions sooner?” Lee asked.

.@APDiploWriter Matt Lee: "On Nord Stream 2, you guys have been saying…the waivers…gave you additional leverage…Clearly, it didn't…provide you w/any leverage at all…b/c of…the invasion…How do you explain to people why you didn't impose these sanctions earlier?" pic.twitter.com/cESIZ00y9P

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 23, 2022

Price never answers the question. But, the better question is: why did they lift them a year ago, to begin with?

Lee persists.

Reporter: “I don’t understand why you don’t think that you would’ve had more leverage if the sanctions had been imposed before the pipeline was finished?”@StateDeptSpox: “The pipeline, when this administration came into office, was more than 90 percent complete.” pic.twitter.com/XMVhSOwsVK

— The Hill (@thehill) February 23, 2022

The U.S. position had always been to do all they could to hold up the project. Until Biden. Something being 90 percent finished equals… still not complete. But, Biden screwed that all up by lifting the sanctions and emboldening Putin. According to Price and Psaki, it’s ‘success’ if they get Germany to agree to the sanctions that the U.S. ignorantly took off then put back on. Um, guys, that isn’t stopping Russia at this point — that’s what you’re supposed to be focused on, and you let him get away with far too much.

Even now, the Biden team is refusing to say that stopping the pipeline is permanent, even knowing what leverage it would give Russia. So, they could turn around tomorrow and still give Putin that foothold.

Reporter: “Nord Stream 2 sanctions, are those permanent?”

State Department Spokesman: “There is no sanction in any responsible sanctions program around the world that is permanent” pic.twitter.com/EbkML14jHM

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) February 23, 2022

Oh, for the days when our foreign policy was based on logic, sense, and what was best in the interests of this country.

#Trump at #NATOSummit2018: "I think it's very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia, where you're supposed to be guarding against Russia." pic.twitter.com/zUT44I4bjg

— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) July 11, 2018