washington's western european allies, however, refused to boycott the pipeline. the foreign ministers of the european economic community called extension of the american sanctions illegal and sent a formal note of protest. from the european perspective, participation in the pipeline project was seen as an opportunity for the depressed steel and engineering industry in europe and as a way to diversify from the opec oil supplies. therefore western european governments insisted that contracts already signed between the soviets and european companies needed to be honored. this led to several european companies being sanctioned by the us. reagan reportedly said: "well, they can have their damned pipeline. but not with american equipment and not with american technology." the efforts by the us to prevent the construction of the pipeline, and its export embargo of supplies needed to build it (1980-84), constituted one of the most severe transatlantic crises of the cold war.