Nord Stream 2 sanctions ‘on their way’, says US

The US government will shortly be imposing sanctions on companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas project, Reuters reports US energy secretary Rick Perry as having told journalists whilst in Ukraine for the inauguration ceremony of comedian-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Critics of Nord Stream 2 argue that it will make the European Union reliant on Russian gas to meet its energy demands.

According to Reuters, Perry said: ‘The opposition to Nord Stream 2 is still very much alive and well in the United States. The United States Senate is going to pass a bill, the House is going to approve it, and it’s going to go to the President and he’s going to sign it, that is going to put sanctions on Nord Stream 2.’

The news agency also reported a spokeswoman for the German Economy Ministry as saying that it had ‘taken note of the threat of U.S. sanctions being placed on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project [but that] that Berlin rejected sanctions that have extraterritorial effect.’

Nord Stream 2 AG, describes itself a ‘project company established for planning, construction and subsequent operation of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. The company is based in Zug, Switzerland and owned by Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) Gazprom. PJSC Gazprom is the largest supplier of natural gas in the world, accounting for approximately 15 percent of world gas production.’