Report: US may slap new sanctions on Nord Stream-2

BERLIN, Feb 4 (PRIME) -- The U.S. Congress may approve new sanctions against Russia’s Nord Stream-2 natural gas pipeline targeting investors and the companies that receive gas through the pipeline, German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday quoting Washington’s diplomatic sources.

In case of necessity, Washington may approve the sanctions in February or March. The Congress is ready to pass them, if Russia continues laying of the remaining part of the pipeline on its own, Handelsblatt reported.

The Nord Stream-2 project envisages construction of two lines of a natural gas pipeline with an annual capacity of up to 55 billion cubic meters, running from the Russian shore to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Russian gas giant Gazprom builds the pipeline together with Germany’s E.ON and BASF, Royal Dutch Shell, Austria’s OMV, and France’s Engie.

On December 21, the builder of the Nord Stream-2 suspended operations due to the threat of U.S. sanctions and withdrew all its vessels engaged in laying the pipeline from the Baltic Sea after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a defense budget envisaging spending on counteraction against Russia in various areas including sanctions against the Nord Stream-2.

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