The decision to waive sanctions against Nord Stream AG and its chief executive Matthias Warnig, subsequent to the completion of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, has drawn congressional criticisms. Blinken defended the action as pragmatic and practical to U.S. interests and remarked that proceeding otherwise would be counterproductive with European relations. In June 2021, Blinken traveled with Biden to attend the 47th G7 summit in Cornwall, the 31st NATO summit in Brussels, and the summit meeting with president Vladimir Putin in Geneva. Blinken and Biden both acknowledged that U.S. and Russia relations are at their lowest point and a more predictable relationship remains a key priority. However, he signaled that further punitive actions will be enforced if the Russian government chooses to continue with hostile activities such as interference in the 2020 presidential elections, the SolarWinds cyberattack, or the apparent poisoning and imprisonment of Alexei Navalny. Of the administration's decision to forego a joint press conference after the summit, Blinken explained that it is "the most effective way" and "not a rare practice".