The government of Germany commented on a bill to expand U.S. sanctions against the “Nord stream – 2”

The introduction of U.S. Senate bill to expand sanctions against structures associated with the construction of the pipeline “Nord stream – 2”, has not changed the position of Germany. This was at the briefing on 5 June said the official representative of the Ministry of economy and energy of Germany Anna Sophie Eichler. The briefing was broadcast on YouTube portal Welt.

“Of course, we are watching the developments around the “Nord stream – 2″, including what is happening in the United States. But we do not comment on it,” said Eichler.

Germany rejects extraterritorial sanctions as such, the speaker said.

A bill to toughen sanctions against the Russian gas pipeline “Nord stream – 2”, submitted to the Senate June 4, provides for penalties for companiesthat provide services of underwriting insurance and reinsurance for vessels working on the pipeline. Also under the sanctions can get the firm conducting the testing, inspection and certification of participants of construction.

In December 2019, the President of the United States Donald trump signed the defense budget for 2020, which envisages the introduction of sanctions against the Russian gas pipeline “Turkish stream” and “Nord stream – 2”. Immediately after that, the Swiss company Allseas has suspended work on the construction of “Nord stream – 2” and withdrew from the Baltic sea and its pipe-laying ships. After this, Russian pipelay vessel “Akademik Chersky” were transferred from the far Eastern port of Nakhodka in the Baltic sea. Now laying vessel is in the territorial waters of Germany, in the port of Mukran.

“Nord stream – 2” gas pipeline that will link Russia to Germany under the Baltic sea. The willingness of the pipeline is 93%. The length of the trail is more than 1,200 km, the new pipeline’s capacity will be 55 billion m3 of gas per year. The cost of the project is €9.5 billion, half of it financed by the Russian “Gazprom” and five European companies: Anglo-Dutch Shell, German Wintershall and Uniper, Engie French and Austrian OMV.

The authorities of Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are considered “Nord stream – 2” the threat to Europe’s energy security.

In 2018, Germany, Finland and Sweden were allowed to lay the pipeline through its territory, Denmark gave permission only in 2019. It was expected that the construction of the pipeline will be completed by the end of 2019, but then starting the “Nord stream – 2” is moved to the end of 2020.