America's security is now determined by oil from Russia (even though we are energy independent) because of our alliance with a country that has chosen to place its security in the hands of its enemy.

Why is Russia's Oil Pipeline and its relationship with Germany pertinent to Americans? As a member of NATO, the United States provides 70% the financial support. We are obligated to come to the defense of any member of NATO. Therefore, it is concerning to see Germany align itself with the enemy they have acquired allies to defend them against. All it takes is a turn of a valve and Germany is disabled. 

In 2011, Merkle committed Europe's largest economy, a leading exporter dependent on keeping industry competitive, to shutting down the source of nearly a quarter of its electric power, its nuclear plants. The Nordstream Pipeline will fill in the gap. In other words, America's security is now determined by oil from Russia (even though we are energy independent) because of our alliance with a country that has chosen to base its security in the hands of its enemy. 

But, perhaps Putin is not Merkle's enemy. Any more than Putin was Schroeder's enemy when Putin offered Schroder a lucrative position on the Board of Rosneft, the state-owned Russian oil giant.

"I have to say, I think it's very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia where we're supposed to be guarding against Russia, "Trump said at a breakfast with NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. "We're supposed to protect you against Russia but they're paying billions of dollars to Russia and I think that's very inappropriate...Germany, as far as I'm concerned is captive to Russia.

Angela Merkle

Wikipedia

In 2006 Merkel expressed concern about overreliance on Russian energy, but she received little support from others in Berlin.

Then oddly...

In June 2017, Merkel criticized the draft of new U.S. sanctions against Russia that target EU–Russia energy projects, including Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Wikipedia

 On his first official trip to Russia in late 1998, Schröder suggested that Germany was not likely to come up with more aid for the country. He also sought to detach himself from the close personal relationship that his predecessor, Helmut Kohl, had with Boris Yeltsin, saying that German-Russian relations should "develop independently of concrete political figures."^[40] 

Soon after, however, he cultivated close ties with Yeltsin's successor, President Vladimir Putin, in an attempt to strengthen the "strategic partnership" between Berlin and Moscow,^[41] including the opening of a gas pipeline from Russian Dan Marino-Pipelines over the Baltic Sea exclusively between Russia and Germany (see "Gazprom controversy" below). During his time in office, he visited the country five times.

Schröder was criticized in the media, and subsequently by Angela Merkel, for calling Putin a "flawless democrat" on 22 November 2004, only days before Putin prematurely congratulated Viktor Yanukovich during the Orange Revolution.^[42] 

Only a few days after his chancellorship, Schröder joined the board of directors of the joint venture. Thus bringing about new speculations about his prior objectivity.

One of Schroeder’s last acts in office in 2005 was authorizing “Nord Stream,” a pipeline bypassing key territories and controlled by Russia’s Gazprom energy company. Shortly after leaving office, Vladimir Putin arranged for Schroeder to chair the project, and then he started pushing for a second pipeline, Nord Stream 2. Instead of diversifying Europe’s energy supply, Schroeder’s pushed policies that make the continent more dependent upon Russia, not less. In September 2017, Putin arranged for Schroeder to become chairman of Rosneft, the state-owned Russian oil giant.  https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/russia-germany-gerhard-schroeder-putin-chief-european-lobbyist/

Gerhard Schröder

Herrenknecht, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board (since 2017)^[57]

Nord Stream, Chairman of the Shareholders’ Committee (since 2006)^[58]

CargoBeamer, Member of the Advisory Board

N M Rothschild & Sons, Member of the European Advisory Council (since 2006)^[59]

TNK-BP, Member of the International Advisory Board (2009)^[60]

As the National Review writes:

Look, Hungary, you’re just beyond Ukraine. If the Russian army rolls through the breadbasket of Europe, they might want some goulash to go with it, and in 2017, you spent just 1.06 percent of your GDP on your military. Dear friends in the Czech Republic, you’re just past Poland, and you’re at 1.05 percent. Maybe Slovenia is spending less than 1 percent of GDP on defense because they’re certain Melania Trump would never allow the nation of her birth to be invaded.

Guys, you’re the ones facing the biggest risk. If Russia’s military starts acting out its expansionist fantasies, we’re not going to see them begin with Russian ships advancing up the Potomac River. What’s really baffling is that these countries are reluctant to finance a military buildup with an American president who talks about the NATO alliance as if it’s a giant scam and who talks about European nations as if they’re delinquent on the rent. If there was ever a time for these countries to start spending on their own defense, this is it.

So, why did Merkle change her mind about the Nord Stream pipeline?

No wonder Hillary Clinton considered Angela Merkel her role model.