German Government Regrets a US Plan to Expand Sanctions on the Nord Stream 2

The new sanctions against Nord Stream 2 would constitute a serious interference in European energy security and EU sovereignty, the German Foreign Ministry said. The German government is concerned about the plans of the US administration to expand sanctions on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Berlin “noted with regret” US senators’ initiative, dpa agency reported on Sunday, June 14, citing a source in the German Foreign Ministry. “New sanctions would constitute a serious interference in European energy security and EU sovereignty,” a spokesman said. He emphasized that the German government does not recognize extraterritorial sanctions. Earlier, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported on the critical attitude in Berlin to the US intention to impose new sanctions against Nord Stream 2, aimed at preventing its completion. Sanctions Expansion Bill In early June, a bill was introduced in the US Senate to expand sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The document was prepared by senators from both parties - Republicans Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Ron Johnson and John Barrasso, as well as Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. According to the new bill, sanctions apply not only to companies that are directly involved in pipeline construction, but also to those who provide them with insurance or legal assistance, as well as port services. For the new sanctions to take effect, the bill must be approved in both houses of Congress, after which the document must be signed by the head of the White House Donald Trump. Gas pipeline suspended due to US sanctions The construction of Nord Stream 2 is currently suspended due to US sanctions against European contractors that entered into force in December 2019. They provide for a ban on entering the United States for representatives of these companies and the freezing of any assets in the country. Nord Stream 2 should be laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea in parallel with the already existing Nord Stream. Countries through the territorial waters of which a new gas pipeline 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.