US Sanctions Against Nord Stream 2 ‘Encroach on Sovereignty of EU’, German Lawmaker Says

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Last Thursday, US Senators reportedly introduced a bill that would extend the scope of sanctions levied against Nord Stream 2 to include all companies that provide certification, insurance, and port facilities for pipe-laying vessels related to the project.

In an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestiya on Tuesday, German politician from the party Die Linke (the Left) Klaus Ernst said that Berlin may respond to possible new US sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

He warned that “if this does not stop, we will have to consider serious measures in order to protect ourselves, for example, tariffs on American natural gas”.

The lawmaker was echoed by Timon Gremmels, member of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), who told Izvestiya that the new US sanctions would not stop the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

German Free Democratic Party (FDP) member Martin Neumann, for his part, underscored that “when it comes to a sustainable energy market, Berlin should not be concerned about geopolitics-related issues”.

“This also applies to Nord Stream 2, which will reliably meet Europe’s gas demands. Despite the role of Russian [energy] supplies, the European gas market is very competitive, and I insist that EU countries should be more actively involved in this project”, Neumann emphasised in an interview with Izvestiya.

He told Izvestiya that the European Commission should take a clear-cut position on “the problematic approaches” that the US practices in international trade.

US Reportedly Plans to Expand Sanctions Against Nord Stream 2

The German lawmakers’ remarks followed Bloomberg reporting last week that a bipartisan group of US Senators intend to introduce a bill that would take aim at insurance companies working with Russian pipe-laying vessels on the Nord Stream 2 project.

The bill was preceded by Washington slapping sanctions against the project to target any company or individual involved in providing services on the pipeline, and threatening to revoke their American visas and freeze their financial assets in the US.

Nord Stream 2 pipeline construction underway in Finnish waters in the Baltic Sea.

The White House has repeatedly opposed the project, claiming that when completed, it would help Russia increase its political leverage over Europe. Moscow says that US sanctions will not derail the implementation of Nord Stream 2, and that it views such actions as a manifestation of unfair competition counter to international law.

Merkel Praises Nord Stream 2 as ‘Very Important’ Project

Germany, one of the key members of the project, has consistently stressed the reasons behind constructing the pipeline are purely economic. In January, Chancellor Angela Merkel touted Nord Stream 2 as a “very important” project that will benefit not only Germany, but many other European countries.

Apart from Russian energy giant Gazprom, five European companies are involved in the implementation of the project, including France’s ENGIE, Austria’s OMV, the UK-Dutch company Royal Dutch Shell, as well as Germany’s Uniper and Wintershall.

Sourse: sputniknews.com

US Sanctions Against Nord Stream 2 ‘Encroach on Sovereignty of EU’, German Lawmaker Says

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