The administration of the US President-elect Joseph Biden will do everything possible to stop the construction of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Such plans were revealed by the candidate for the post of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, TASS reports.
At the same time, he admitted that the European partners of the United States may not agree to stop construction. However, he said that the American side intends to try to convince partners in Europe to stop the project. “But if this does not succeed, I think we will have to seriously consider all the [sanctions] instruments that we have,” he said.
According to him, Biden opposes the gas pipeline project. “The President-elect agrees that this project is a bad idea,” Blinken said.
The United States introduced new sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under construction on January 19. They touched upon the Fortuna pipelayer, its owner – KBT-Rus – and the Rustanker company. The ship “Maxim Gorky” also fell under restrictive measures.
After that, the Swiss insurance company Zurich Insurance Group left the project. In addition to her, the project was abandoned by the German concern Bilfinger, which had several contracts with the pipeline operator, Nord Stream 2, and the Danish engineering company Ramboll. Norwegian DNV GL refused to certify the gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.
Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov recalled that the Russian side still expects the completion of the project. Moscow’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said that Washington violates international law, the principles of fair and free trade and is engaged in blatant unfair competition.