On Sunday, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee head Jim Risch said that Washington plans to hamper the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline by sanctioning companies involved in the project via the 2020 National Defence Authorisation Act.
The debate in Washington about possible sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline raises questions because some of the arguments put forward against the project are ‘partially incorrect”, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, deputy head of the German Free Democratic Party, said on Tuesday.
According to him, Washington’s stance on the project undoubtedly remains highly critical, and one should now wait for the end of “the legislative process” on the matter.
His remarks followed the US Defence News media outlet citing Senator Jim Risch as saying that the US Congress plans to block the further construction of Nord Stream 2 by passing a defence bill that would extend sanctions on the project’s European partners.
A handout by Nord Stream 2 claims to show the first pipes for the Nord Stream 2 project at a plant of OMK, which is one of the three pipe suppliers selected by Nord Stream 2 AG, in Vyksa, Russia, in this undated photo provided to Reuters on March 23, 2017
Risch, who is the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the news outlet that the committee added sanctions on companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 project to the draft 2020 National Defence Authorisation Act.
Senate Committee Passes Bill on Nord Stream 2- Related Sanctions
He spoke after the Foreign Relations Committee passed the bill in September envisioning economic action against entities and individuals involved in building the pipeline, which the committee claims threatens Europe’s energy security.
The bill still needs to pass the entire Senate, the House and presidential approval to become law.
The US, which is trying to sell more of its own liquefied natural gas (LNG) to its overseas allies, asserts that the Nord Stream 2 project will make Europe more dependent on Moscow.
Due to be finished before the end of this year, Nord Stream 2 is a joint venture between the Russian energy giant Gazprom and five European companies: France’s ENGIE, Austria’s OMV, the UK-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, and Germany’s Uniper and Wintershall.
The 745-mile (1,148-km)-long twin pipeline will carry up to 55 billion cubic meters (1.942 trillion cubic feet) of gas per year from Russia to Germany.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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