US hits NS2 with more sanctions

The US State Department said August 20 that it considered the nearly-completed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to be “a harmful” project.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said two more Russian entities and two Russian vessels face sanctions for their role in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. To date, seven individuals and 16 vessels have been sanctioned in connection with the project.

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“As we have said, the administration continues to oppose Nord Stream 2 as a bad deal for Ukraine, and a bad deal for Europe, and a harmful Russian geopolitical project,” Price said.

The second string of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, which delivers Russian gas to Europe via the Baltic Sea, is nearly complete.

That pipeline is a source of contention for Western powers wary of the Kremlin’s grip over the European energy sector.

By avoiding geopolitically sensitive territory in Ukraine, however, supporters say the pipeline is a boost for the European energy sector. Apart from the concerns about Russian influence over energy, opponents also note the pipeline starves Ukraine of the transit revenue it would otherwise receive from the network of Soviet-era pipelines running through its territory.

Germany and the US in July agreed a deal that will allow the Nord Stream 2 project to go ahead, but vowed to punish Russia if it uses the pipeline as a political weapon.

Price added that additional sanctions pressure sends “a clear signal to Russia that the United States is united in our commitment to impose costs on Russia for its aggression and malign activities and to support a more secure and sustainable energy future for Ukraine and our partners in Europe.”