According to Senator Ted Cruz, the new US president is ready to compromise on the gas pipeline. “The Biden administration is signaling that it is ready to allow the gas pipeline, with disastrous consequences for US national security and the energy security of our European allies, to be built,” said Cruz.
Criticism by the Republican senator concerns a report by the US Department of State, which lists companies that could be subject to sanctions because of their involvement in the development of Nord Stream 2. According to Cruz, the US authorities resigned from extending the list to include other companies involved in the construction. Neither the state department nor the White House have confirmed these reports. The report itself has not been released.
Republican party senators say the report only provides for sanctions against the Russian ship “Fortuna” laying the pipelines for the pipeline and its owner, KVT-RUS, which the Donald Trump administration has decided to punish.
According to Senator Michael McCaul, the current steps are completely insufficient and do not correspond to the intention of Congress, which demands that the entire investment be stopped. McCaul added that he is expecting information from the state department when further sanctions against other entities are planned.
“Bad deal”
The United States is strongly opposed to the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, because it is afraid of too much dependence of European partners on Russia. In late 2019, work on laying the underwater pipeline was halted after the US imposed sanctions against pipe-laying companies. Recently, however, construction has resumed.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price argued last week that the US authorities have already made it clear that they consider Nord Stream 2 a “bad deal” and that companies involved in the project risk sanctions. Price added that President Joe Biden would consult with European partners on the matter.
However, it seems that the very threat of sanctions may be effective. The state department report to Congress shows that at least 18 European companies have already withdrawn from the project. Among them are, among others German construction company Bilfinger and insurer Munich Re Syndicate Limited belonging to the Muenchener Rueck insurance group.
The article comes from Deutsche Welle.
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