Blinken's show of unity with NATO and Europe shadowed by disagreement over gas pipeline between Russia and Germany

Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeated his warning Wednesday that the US will consider sanctions if work on a gas pipeline between Russian and Germany is completed and certified -- a sole note of discord in an extended display of unity with European allies and NATO states.

"The pipeline divides Europe, it exposes Ukraine and central Europe to Russian manipulation and coercion, it goes against Europe's own stated energy security goals, so what I said was that we will continue to monitor activity to complete and certify the pipeline, and if that activity takes place, we'll make a determination on the applicability of sanctions," Blinken said at a press conference in Brussels. The top US diplomat was in Brussels for meetings with NATO officials and European leaders in a diplomatic blitz to reaffirm the Biden administration's commitment to its allies; signal to Russia and China that any aggression will face a unified front, and consult on a slew of issues, including the pressing question of whether to pull US troops from Afghanistan by a May 1 deadline set by the last administration.