The administration of President Joe Biden is considering additional sanctions to block the construction of Nord Stream 2, writes Bloomberg, citing three sources familiar with this. These sanctions may also affect the pipeline construction operator, Nord Stream 2 AG.
An insurance company working with ships involved in construction in the Baltic Sea, as well as other organizations, may also fall under the sanctions, the agency's interlocutors said on condition of anonymity.
Nord Stream 2 will bypass Ukraine, an ally of the West, potentially depriving it of transit fees. It will also increase Europe's energy dependence on Russia and compete with US LNG supplies.
The US State Department is monitoring efforts to complete the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and evaluating information on legal entities that appear to be involved, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Thursday.
"Any organization participating in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline risks falling under US sanctions and must immediately stop work on the pipeline," Blinken said in a statement.
He added that the Biden administration is committed to upholding 2019 and 2020 pipeline legislation and sanctions.
The Secretary of State recalled that Biden called Nord Stream 2 a bad deal for Germany and Ukraine, as well as for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. According to Blinken, the gas pipeline “is a geopolitical project of Russia aimed at dividing Europe and weakening European energy security.
