The second wave of restrictive measures was prepared “with surgical precision” to prevent the completion of the project, the Senator believes.
U.S. Republican Senator Ted Cruz says Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will never be launched if the United States slaps new sanctions on the project.
That is according to the Ukrainian online news outlet Obozrevatel, referring to Cruz’s statement published by USA News Today on December 16.
In particular, the Republican noted that the second wave of restrictive measures was prepared “with surgical precision to prevent the completion of construction” of the pipeline.
Cruz says that sanctions are aimed at operations on the construction of the gas pipeline. They affect the certification process and insurance companies.
“This project, in my opinion, will never be launched and gas will never be launched through the pipeline,” he said.
The Senator added that this is a “definite signal” for all international investors.
Background
- Earlier, Bild reported that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden intended to put an end to the Nord Stream 2 project.
- The norms contained in the 2021 U.S. defense budget provide for sanctions aimed at insurance and certification companies participating in the implementation of Russia’s Nord Stream 2.
- In December last year, the U.S. Congress imposed sanctions on pipeline services to lay pipes for Nord Stream 2 at great depths. As a result, the Swiss company which was building the pipeline halted works immediately. Russia, on its part, has not given up efforts to find an alternative ship to complete the pipelaying.
- A new package of sanctions against Nord Stream 2 is intended to make such attempts futile.
Nord Stream 2: Memo
- The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction and operation of two gas pipeline branches with a total throughput capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. It should connect Russia’s Ust-Lug and Germany’s Greifswald. This new pipeline bypassing Ukraine is to be built next to the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
- The construction of the pipeline was expected to be completed before the end of 2019.
- The pipeline will be 1,220 km long. The project is being implemented by Russia’s Gazprom in alliance with European companies – ENGIE, OMV, Royal Dutch Shell, Uniper, and Wintershall. Ukraine stands against the construction of Nord Stream 2, as it will most likely lose its status of a gas transit country, while its potential revenue losses are estimated at US$3 billion annually. The project is also highly criticized by the U.S., Poland, and the Baltic States.
- On July 15, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that the participants in the Nord Stream 2 project would fall under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, CAATSA.
- On July 16, the U.S. recommended that investment companies reconsider their participation in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
- On July 23, the U.S. Senate approved the draft National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which, among other things, contains additional sanctions against the companies involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2.
- Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the United States’ readiness to impose sanctions on investment companies involved in the completion of the project.
- Norway’s risk management and quality assurance firm DNV GL has suspended work on Nord Stream 2 on fears of being sanctioned by the United States.
(c) Unian
“This project, in my opinion, will never be launched and gas will never be launched through the pipeline,” he said.
Good. Only one fly in the ointment, if Trump vetoes the defense bill, sanctions will be delayed.
I understand Trump wants to hold Twitter and Facebook accountable for their Stalinism and it is a certainty that the beneficiary of their censorship will never do anything to hurt them but Trump will have to wait on that. If he does veto the bill the congress will override it the next day and that would be even more embarrassing.
Social media needs sorting out definitely, but to make it a condition of signing a defense agreement is crazy, and it wouldn’t make Trump any friends in the military either.
The law does the exact opposite. Now if Trump spreads some misinformation, such as the suggestion that injecting disinfectant would help against Covid, Twitter is responsible.
When they won’t be responsible for the content of their users, they don’t have to apply censorship, at least not to avoid criminal liability.
Especially for a guy that often spreads theories that are “against any scientific consensus”, to put it mildly, this step would be beneficial.
And be fair, isn’t it a bit ridiculous to consider your own Twitter account more important than the national security and the wages of hundreds of thousands of people?
If he would veto it, we know he does.
The orange one cannot do anything anymore to stop it.
“Senate passes $740 billion defense bill with enough support to override threatened Trump veto”
https://www.stripes.com/news/us/senate-passes-740-billion-defense-bill-with-enough-support-to-override-threatened-trump-veto-1.655018
This is what Trump said today. Then it depends on Congress to vote on overriding the veto, that’s where it might get tricky.
“I will Veto the Defense Bill, which will make China very unhappy. They love it. Must have Section 230 termination, protect our National Monuments and allow for removal of military from far away, and very unappreciative, lands. Thank you!” Trump tweeted Thursday morning.
I think the bill passed with enough votes to override a presidential veto.
Yeah, but if Trump does veto, they still have to vote on whether to override the veto. Here is one guy that won’t, how many more will follow him?
“House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has said he would not vote to override a veto.”
Why the hell wouldn’t you override a veto, when it is about a bill you actually support?
I think he can’t, because more than 2/3 will vote in favour of the Defense bill.
It looks that way, and I’m sure Trump wouldn’t want the shame of a veto being overidden.
Sanction the shit out of nazi collaborator Germany.
I do hope that the newest round of sanctions will hammer those hard enough, who are working to complete this damned project!