[ad_1]
The US Senate began in 2021 with the passage of the Defense Budget Act (NDAA), which includes sanctions aimed at destroying the Kremlin’s strategically important Nord Stream 2 project. This means the almost inevitable death of the project.
This is stated in the publication of the American think tank Atlantic Council. “The geopolitical importance of this law cannot be overestimated. It means the almost inevitable death of Putin’s most important energy project (Vladimir, President of the Russian Federation – ed.) And it does not allow Russia to tighten control over the supply of natural gas to the EU, “the publication says.
The new law introduces sanctions that apply to insurers and licensees. If they want to cooperate with the Russian project, they will be included in the “black lists” of the United States. This has already led to the refusal of one of the large companies to participate in Nord Stream 2.
“The imposition of tough new sanctions by the United States represents a major strategic setback for Putin and Gazprom. The unfinished pipeline is estimated at $ 11.6 billion so far, while the project has also sparked political opposition to continued dependence. Europe from Russia to supply energy to the continent. Critics have long pointed to the lack of a business case for Nord Stream 2. They see it as a geopolitical weapon and see the US sanctions as an attempt to disarm the Kremlin. ” the post says.
The gas pipeline is 94% complete (2,300 km of the 2,460 km required). Due to US sanctions, international companies refused to cooperate with the project. Russian Gazprom has decided to complete Nord Stream 2 independently.
However, even if the “pipeline” can be completed, it is necessary to obtain insurance and a certificate before launching it. The United States has already announced that those companies that will help with the final stage of the launch may also be sanctioned. As a result, Nord Stream 2 may never be released.
Nord Stream 2 “will avoid the transit states: Ukraine, Belarus, Poland. Its launch could result in the loss of billions of dollars in transit of blue fuel. The cost of the” pipeline “is about 9.5 billion euros. This is one of Gazprom’s most expensive projects. “German companies are also involved, they want to supply gas from Russia directly to Germany.
As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, the Russian ship Akademik Chersky, which will complete the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, left the German port of Mukran, the project’s logistics base. After a month in Germany, the pipelayer headed to the Russian city of Kaliningrad.
US sanctions are the main obstacle to the completion of Nord Stream 2. As of October 20, they concern insurance and certified companies that work with ships.
The US Department of State has released a clarification stating that not only companies that provide ships for the construction of Nord Stream 2 will fall under US sanctions, but also those that are dedicated to the modernization of the ships that have to complete it, install the necessary equipment on them, or finance these processes.
