The bill on sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, proposed by US Republican Senator Ted Cruise, could weaken the United States’ unity with its allies on the issue of countering “Russian aggression” against Ukraine. This was announced on Thursday, January 6, by the head of the press service of the State Department, Ned Price.
“We are concerned that the adoption of this bill will only undermine unity among our European allies at a crucial moment when we need to act as a united front in response to Russian threats against Ukraine,” he said at a briefing.
Price stressed that the bill contradicts the work of the United States administration with Congress and European partners on sanctions that could increase “the potential costs for Russia if Moscow continues its aggression against Ukraine.”
Earlier on Thursday, the US Senate expressed an opinion that the approval of the bill on sanctions against “Nord Stream 2” could interfere with the negotiations of American leader Joe Biden with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They noted that Cruise’s initiative may not overcome the required threshold of 60 votes.
Cruz’s bill obliges the Washington administration to impose sanctions on the pipeline within 15 days of its approval, and also allows Congress to vote to reimpose the restrictions if the American president decides to lift them.
Restrictions, according to the bill, will be introduced in relation to organizations responsible for the design, construction and operation of the gas pipeline, as well as in relation to a number of their employees. The sanctions include a ban on entry into the United States, as well as a freeze on assets in the United States and a ban on American citizens or companies from doing business with persons on the blacklist.
On December 19, it was reported that the US Senate would consider sanctions against Nord Stream 2 until January 14.
Washington has long opposed the pipeline and has already imposed sanctions on Nord Stream 2 several times, which, as experts pointed out, complicated relations with Germany, which supports the project.
The construction of SP-2 was completed on September 10. It was built from Russia to Germany along the Baltic seabed with the aim of direct gas supplies to Europe. The EU countries mainly support the project and participate in its implementation. The Baltic states, Poland, the United States and Ukraine are opposed.
On December 16, Germany postponed a decision on certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline until at least mid-2022.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
