Source says Poland, Baltic states for US’ N Stream-2 sanctions

BRUSSELS, Jul 26 (PRIME) -- Poland, Baltic and northern E.U. member-states are the main European advocates of the new U.S. sanctions targeting the Russian gas pipeline project Nord Stream-2, a diplomatic source in Brussels told PRIME on Wednesday.

The U.S. Congress voted for a bill including new sanctions against Russia and several other states by an overwhelming majority on Tuesday. The bill will come in force if signed by the president.

The source said, “The new sanctions are supported most of all by Poland, the Baltic states and the north European members of the E.U. (such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark).”

The source said that the launch of the Russian pipeline project would curtail Hungary and Slovakia’s revenue from re-exports of Russian gas to Ukraine. Austria and Germany are the main beneficiaries of the project. “It is evident that the new U.S. sanctions split the E.U. attitudes.”

Nord Stream-2 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. Gazprom is implementing the project together with Engie, OMV, Royal Dutch Shell, Uniper and Wintershall.

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