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The country’s defense budget approved by the US Congress, which provides for tougher sanctions for Nord Stream 2, must now be signed by the US president.
On December 11, the US Senate supported the country’s defense budget project for 2021, which, in particular, provides for tougher sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The Texan reported on the matter.
The publication notes that the upper house of the United States Congress, like the House of Representatives on December 9, supported the document with an overwhelming majority. This means that the Senate will be able to overcome the veto of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, if he refuses to sign it.
84 senators voted in favor of the budget bill, 13 against.
The document has already been sent to Trump for signature.
The expanded restrictions against Nord Stream 2 target a broader range of companies, including those providing insurance, reinsurance, testing, inspection or certification services “necessary or essential to complete such projects.” Under the bill, providers of services or equipment to upgrade technology or install welding equipment for pipeline vessels are also threatened by US sanctions. Around 120 companies from more than 12 European countries are reported to be affected.
Russia’s Kommersant writes that the document provides for sanctions against Turkey for the purchase of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.
According to Ukrinform, the budget proposal foresees the allocation of $ 250 million in defense assistance to Ukraine, including $ 75 million for lethal weapons systems.
Bloomberg Notesthat Trump threatened not to sign the budget bill, as it provides for the renaming of military bases and it does not include repeal of the law that protects technology companies from liability for most user-generated content.
Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline that is supposed to connect Russia with Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The length of the route is more than 1200 km, the capacity of the new gas pipeline will be 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The cost of the project was initially reported to be € 9.9 billion, then, according to The New York Times, it grew to almost $ 11 billion. As of December 2019, 93.5% of the pipeline was completed, said the official representative of the project operator, the company. Nord Stream 2 AG – Jens Müller.
Authorities in the United States, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia consider Nord Stream 2 a threat to Europe’s energy security.
The construction of the gas pipeline has been frozen as the US imposed sanctions on European contractors involved in the project in December 2019. Immediately after this, the Swiss company Allseas suspended construction works on Nord Stream 2 and removed its vessels. laying of pipelines of the Baltic Sea. Gazprom announced that Russian pipelayers will participate in the completion of the project.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel argued on September 1, 2020 that Nord Stream 2 would be completed despite threats from the United States. On September 8, he said that he would coordinate any action against Russia in connection with the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny with European partners, but has not yet decided whether they will affect the construction of the gas pipeline. On September 11, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could be frozen in response to the Navalny poisoning, but on October 17 he announced that the pipeline would be completed.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who received the most votes, announced a tough stance on Nord Stream 2. He wants to stop this project forever.
The specially equipped Russian vessel “Akademik Chersky” did not begin to complete the construction of the gas pipeline and left for Kaliningrad on November 27. The ship was sent to Russia because the Norwegian company Det Norske Veritas – Germanischer Lloyd, hired by Gazprom to certify the Nord Stream 2, was unable to inspect the ship and its equipment due to US sanctions.
Despite this, a representative from Nord Stream 2 AG announced plans to resume construction of the gas pipeline from December 5. The US embassy in Berlin on December 5 asked the German government to halt the construction of Nord Stream 2.
On December 7, it became known that the laying of the gas pipeline in German waters could be continued by the specialized Russian-flagged barge Fortuna.
Construction of the gas pipeline resumed on December 11.
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