US senators consider sanctions against Nord Stream 2 pipeline

Two US senators are expected to propose sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project that Russia’s Gazprom is building for energy supplies to Germany.

News agency Reuters quoted a source familiar with the matter as saying that Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, are planning to introduce the new sanctions against the pipeline, potentially targeting any company that takes part in the project.

The agency said that both senators indicated they were weighing sanctions on Nord Stream 2, which is led by state gas company Gazprom as Russia moves closer to completing the project. Cruz and Shaheen were behind sanctions late last year that stopped work on the pipeline by Allseas, a Swiss-Dutch company.

A Russian pipe-laying vessel is planning to finish the remaining 160 km of the project, which involves laying a pipeline under the Baltic Sea. President Vladimir Putin has said that the pipeline could begin operating by the end of 2020 or shortly thereafter. Washington has opposed the pipeline, fearing it would strengthen Moscow’s economic and political influence over Europe.

Reuters reported Cruz telling the Atlantic Council think tank this month that new sanctions would apply to any ship or any owner who attempts to finish the project. Ship officers would lose their ability to come to the United States and all their assets would be blocked, he is reported to have said.