U.S. Senate Approves Nord Stream 2 Sanctions

The bill provides for sanctions on foreign companies working on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline and TurkStream. On Tuesday, December 17, the U.S. Senate approved sanctions against Nord Stream 2. They are included in the new U.S. defense budget for 2020. 88 senators voted for the bill, 8 voted against it. On December 11, the bill has already received support from the US House of Representatives. After Donald Trump puts his signature, the law will enter into force. Trump had previously stated that he would sign the law. The bill approves sanctions on companies and governments working on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline and TurkStream. The document says that the sanctions were adopted in order to ensure energy security in Europe. Experts note that the imposition of sanctions against Nord Stream 2 in the U.S. defense budget was because US lawmakers wanted to introduce these sanctions as quickly as possible and they would need additional time to form the law. Sanctions will not Stop Nord Stream 2 Earlier, the German newspaper Bild, citing a confidential document from the German Ministry of Economy, said that U.S. measures were aimed at preventing the laying of pipes in the Danish economic zone. Many experts believe that U.S. sanctions will no longer stop Nord Stream 2, since the construction of the project is almost complete. They also noted that restrictions could adversely affect the relationship between the U.S. and Germany, which supports the project. DW