New US sanctions against 'Nord Stream 2' will hit the EU
If the United States decides to impose new tough sanctions on Nord Stream 2, it will deal a heavy blow to agreements with Europe, forcing these countries to retaliate, said Deputy General Director of the National Energy Security Fund Alexei Grivach.
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| The Nord Stream 2 project completes the final kilometers. Photo: Russia Energy |
On September 24, the US House of Representatives passed a defense budget that includes tougher sanctions against Russia. In particular, the document includes amendments to new sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
What happens if sanctions are imposed?
"If the US president imposes sanctions, it will be a major blow to agreements with Europe, forcing these countries to retaliate. And the whole mission of the new administration to restore relations will go up in smoke," said Mr. Grivach.
The push to toughen sanctions on the Russian gas pipeline project could continue the internal struggle in the US, he said. Meanwhile, the wording of the amendments is quite vague and leaves little room for interpretation.
“For us, it will still be possible to find a mechanism to operate under the conditions of the sanctions,” Mr. Grivach concluded.
In September, Gazprom announced the completion of the construction of Nord Stream 2. The company is now conducting test runs of the gas pipeline and issuing a certificate to the operator to start gas supplies.
