U.S. sanctions may disrupt launch of Nord Stream 2 – Zerkal

If the United States imposes sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the launch of the project could be disrupted, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal has said.

She told this to reporters in Berlin on Tuesday, November 26.

"We believe that these sanctions can really help prevent the launch of Nord Stream 2, especially in light of the need to conclude a new contract for gas supply to Europe," the diplomat said.

According to her, this is an additional negotiating tool for Ukraine.

The U.S. Congress may include the clause on sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the U.S. defense budget for 2020.

The Nord Stream 2 project involves the construction of a new line of the pipeline from Russia across the Baltic Sea to Germany, in addition to the already operating Nord Stream gas pipeline. Its capacity is expected to reach 55 billion cubic meters of gas every year.

Nord Stream 2 is wholly owned by Gazprom and co-financed by five European energy companies: Shell, Engie, OMV, Wintershall, and Uniper. The project is to be completed by the end of 2019.

Ukraine opposes the construction of Nord Stream 2. In addition, the pipeline's opponents are the United States, Poland and the Baltic countries that warn that the EU will, in this case, be dependent on Russian gas supplies. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block the project with sanctions.

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