The US has informed Germany that it plans to impose sanctions on a Russian pipe-laying ship involved in construction of the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.
According to Handelsblatt, the U.S. sanctions would go into effect on Janury 19, as part of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The sanctions would be imposed on the Russian pipe-laying ship “Fortuna” and its owner, KVT-RUS.
Nord Stream 2, aims to double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream undersea gas pipeline, and it would bypass Ukraine. The project has become a point of contention between Russia and the US.
The group behind the pipeline suspended work in December 2019 because of the threat of sanctions from the US, even though the project has been nearly completed.
In fact, a spokesman for the US embassy in Berlin told Handelsblatt that Washington would continue to take “all necessary and appropriate steps” to prevent Nord Stream 2.
The U.S. government is hoping that Germany will reconsider its position on Nord Stream 2.
However, according to Reuters, a German government spokesman told reporters that Berlin’s view on the pipeline remains unchanged.
