The US Senate imposed sanctions against Nord Stream 2 in the draft defence budget

The US Senate has included additional sanctions against Nord Stream 2 in the draft national defence budget, Republican Congressman Steve Womack reported.

“The Russian government wants to use the project as a coercion instrument. Its goal is to increase Poland and Ukraine’s dependence on Russian gas. I am proud to be a co-author of the sanctions aimed at stopping its construction, and I congratulate the Senate for including this priority in the draft national defence budget,'” the congressman said.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives present their defence budget options. After this, a conciliation commission combines them, and then both chambers vote on the final version, which is then sent to the president for signing.

To recap, in December 2019, the United States imposed the first sanctions against the Nord Stream-2 construction, aimed at the vessels that directly lay pipes below water.

In turn, the new sanctions are also directed against the ship’s insurers and service companies that perform geodetic, trenching, welding and other works. Sanctions also apply to the companies that test and certify a project, without which it cannot be put into operation.

Due to US sanctions, Russia was forced to suspend the pipeline construction at 93% of its completion. But Russia has announced that it would complete Nord Stream-2 on its own. For this, it modernizes the multi-purpose construction vessel Academician Chersky, purchased in 2015.

Natalia Tolub