Report: US to waive sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG, CEO

MOSCOW, May 19 (PRIME) -- The administration of the U.S. President Joe Biden will waive sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, and its CEO, news portal Axios reported late on Tuesday citing sources.

“The State Department will imminently send its mandatory 90-day report to Congress listing entities involved in Nord Stream 2 that deserve sanctions. Sources familiar with the drafting of the report tell Axios the State Department plans to call for sanctions against a handful of Russian ships,” the portal said.

“The State Department will also acknowledge that the corporate entity in charge of the project (Nord Stream 2 AG) and its CEO Matthias Warnig are engaged in sanctionable activities. However, the State Department will waive the applications of those sanctions, citing U.S. national interests,” the portal said.

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 is implementing the project together with Germany’s E.ON and BASF, Royal Dutch Shell, Austria’s OMV, and France’s Engie. The project is strongly opposed by the U.S. and several European states.

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