US lawmakers issue ultimatum to government over Nord Stream 2
A group of 12 US Republican senators led by Pat Toomey sent an ultimatum to the US Treasury Department and the White House, demanding new sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
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| Installation of gas pipeline in the Nord Stream 2 project. Photo: Ria Novosti |
Bloomberg news agency quoted a passage from their letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
“The Nord Stream 2 pipeline directly harms the national security interests of the United States and our allies and partners. If completed, the project would increase Vladimir Putin’s adverse influence in Europe, destabilize Ukraine’s fragile security, and enable further Russian aggression,” the letter said.
Senators have threatened to block the appointment of two Treasury nominees unless the Biden administration “changes its stance on the pipeline and imposes new sanctions on the project.”
US-Germany Agreement
On July 21, it became known that Germany and the United States had reached an agreement on Nord Stream 2. According to the US State Department, Berlin agreed to take measures to support the European energy market, to apply measures, up to sanctions, against Russia if it restricts energy supplies.
German authorities have pledged to allocate 200 million euros to support Ukraine's energy sector and create a $1 billion fund to ensure the country's energy security.
Under the agreement, Germany will support the US request to extend the agreement on the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine when it expires in 2024. Nord Stream AG said the pipeline is now 99% complete. The Akademik Chersky pipe-laying vessel has completed all its work, while the Fortuna pipe-laying barge continues to construct the final section of the pipeline./.
