US Ambassador to Germany Announced New Nord Stream 2 Sanctions Plans

Republicans and Democrats endorse Washington’s possible new sanctions for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the American Ambassador to Germany, Grenell said. He called on Berlin to rethink its policy towards Moscow. The United States is ready to impose new sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The ambassador of the United States to Germany, Richard Grenell, informed about in an interview with the German publication Handelsblatt, published on Tuesday, May 26. According to him, the bill "can be quickly passed despite the election campaign" in the United States. Further penalties "find approval among all parties," after meeting with senators and congressmen in the United States a few days earlier the diplomat said. The ambassador did not specify what the possible sanctions are. According to the publication, we can talk about measures against companies serving the pipeline or companies to receive gas coming from Russia. In addition, Grenell called on the federal government to rethink its policy towards Russia. Germany should “stop feeding the beast,” while NATO does not receive sufficient financial support from the German side, the ambassador noticed. The US Position in the Light of pandemic concerns Berlin In turn, official Berlin expressed concern about the American side allegations. "The time when the pandemic puts enormous pressure on countries around the world is not suitable to spin up the escalation spiral and threaten further extraterritorial sanctions, which are contrary to international law," Petera Atlmaier, spokeswoman for the Federal Economy and Energy of Germany.) said The gas pipeline should be laid along the Baltic Sea bottom in parallel with the already existing Nord Stream. Countries through whose territorial waters Nord Stream 2 passes (Finland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark) have allowed pipe laying. The USA and a number of European states oppose the gas pipeline construction. In their opinion, it will strengthen Europe’s dependence on Russian gas supplies. Pipe laying got suspended The Nord Stream 2 construction is currently suspended due to US sanctions that entered into force in December 2019 against European contractors and include a ban on entering the United States for representatives of these companies and freezing any their assets on country’s territory. Afterwards, the Russian head of the Ministry of Energy Alexander Novak assured that the gas pipeline would be completed before the end of 2020 and indicated that the Akademik Chersky vessel could be used to complete the construction. In early May, the ship owned by a subsidiary of Gazprom anchored in the waters of the German port of Mukran.