By Thomas Escritt and Sarah Marsh BERLIN (Reuters) – A German politician set up a state-backed foundation with Russian energy company Gazprom last year to help Moscow avoid U.S. sanctions on a pipeline due to carry Russian gas to Europe. The move adds to questions about whether the United States and Germany are on the same page over the $11 billion project – a crucial issue as the two major democracies lead NATO allies in a pushback against Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2019, Washington imposed sanctions on those involved in laying the pipeline, Nord Stream 2. The United States has argu…