The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Maas discussed the importance of Transatlantic cooperation to manage challenges posed by China and Russia, efforts to promote de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East and ensuring an orderly military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Secretary Blinken underscored the U.S. commitment to work with Allies and partners to counter Russian efforts to undermine our collective security, and in that vein, emphasized U.S. opposition to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.