The Kremlin stated on Tuesday (November 23) that the new sanctions imposed by the United States on the North Stream 2 natural gas pipeline are illegal and wrong, especially when Moscow and Washington are trying to rebuild dialogue.
U.S. Monday Impose further sanctions Regarding the North Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that it targeted Transadria Ltd. and its vessels, which are connected to Russia.
“Today’s report is in line with the continuing US opposition to the North Stream 2 pipeline and the US government’s continued compliance with PEESA requirements,” Brinken said in his statement. “Through today’s action, according to the PEESA related to Beixi 2, the government has now imposed sanctions on 8 people and identified 17 of their ships as blocked property.”
Bureau of Economic and Social Services Representing the “Protection of European Energy Security Act” of 2019, giving the United States the power to advance its national security and foreign policy goals, especially “resolving Russian pipeline projects that pose risks to U.S. national security and threaten European energy security, and endanger European politics And economic welfare”.
Brinken said that the State Department submitted a report to the US Congress listing the two ships participating in the pipeline and one entity, Transadria Ltd., but did not provide detailed information about the second ship.
Washington opposed the $11 billion pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine, and transporting natural gas from Russia’s Arctic to Germany.
Nord Stream 2 has been strongly opposed by the United States and some European countries, who said it will make Europe too dependent on Russian natural gas. But other European governments say this connection is essential to ensure energy supply, as natural gas prices have soared in recent weeks and the threat of power outages this winter is imminent.
The Biden administration has waived sanctions on pipeline operators and reached an agreement with Germany on the pipeline issue in July.
Biden administration officials said that because the pipeline was basically completed when they took office, the president gave up sanctions on the German companies behind the pipeline construction in order to repair relations with Berlin. Instead, government officials said they plan to take other measures.
If Russia uses energy as a weapon in its relations with Ukraine, Germany agrees to take action, but the agreement does not provide specific criteria for judgment.
Last week, the German energy regulator temporarily suspended the certification process for new pipelines that transport Russian natural gas to Europe, setting new obstacles for this controversial project and pushing up regional natural gas prices. The delayed news caused European natural gas prices to soar.
“Even if the government continues to oppose the Beixi 2 pipeline, including through our sanctions, we continue to work with Germany and other allies and partners to reduce the pipeline’s risks to Ukraine and front-line NATO and EU countries, and prevent opposition to harmful Russia Activities, including in the energy sector,” Brinken said.
If gas from Russia bypasses it, Ukraine will lose revenue. But more importantly, if Russia stops relying on Ukraine’s natural gas exports, the Kremlin may be tempted to launch new attacks on its neighbors to ensure strategic territorial interests in the Black Sea region.
A group of Republicans in the U.S. Senate proposed legislation to impose mandatory sanctions on North Stream 2 because National Defense Authorization Law AmendmentOr NDAA, a comprehensive national defense policy bill passed annually by Congress.
