Ukraine hopes new US sanctions could stop N Stream-2 launch

BERLIN, Nov 26 (PRIME) -- Kiev hopes that possible new U.S. sanctions will prevent the launch of Russia’s Nord Stream-2 natural gas pipeline, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yelena Zerkal told PRIME on Tuesday.

“We think that these sanctions could really help in preventing the launch of the Nord Stream, especially taking into account the necessity of signing of a new contract for gas supplies in Europe,” she said.

Earlier in the month, U.S. lawmakers tied sanctions against firms connected with construction of the pipeline to a must-pass defense policy bill. The text of the new sanctions has not been made public yet, but U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch told reporters that the bill was close to the bill earlier supported by Senator Ted Cruz.

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, OMV, and France’s Engie. The length of the pipeline’s route exceeds 1,200 kilometers.

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