After construction work on the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline has stopped, Russia does not expect to start until the end of next year. "Nord Stream 2 will be launched by the end of 2020," said Russian energy minister Alexander Nowak, the state-run news agency Tass said. The Russian ship Akademik Tscherski could do the work to lay the pipes over the remaining 160 kilometers. However, it had to be additionally equipped for work in the Baltic Sea.
According to the construction consortium, 160 kilometers are still missing from the Baltic Sea pipeline between Russia and Germany. Russia had previously spoken of a delay of a few months. The USA had announced sanctions against the companies involved in the construction in connection with the project. The Swiss-Dutch group Allseas, which was previously responsible for relocating the management, has therefore suspended its work.
The United States justifies its action against Nord Stream 2 by protecting energy security in Europe. They warn of excessive dependence on Russian gas. Several EU countries and Ukraine are against the pipeline. The US, on the other hand, is criticized for wanting to sell its own, expensive, produced liquefied gas in Europe. Russia has announced countermeasures on US sanctions.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen criticized the US sanctions. It is right that the pipeline project also has a political dimension and the EU Commission protects "with its means" the interests of the eastern member states, von der Leyen told Spiegel . "Another page says that the EU Commission is firmly opposed to sanctions against European companies that are involved in projects in accordance with the legal system."
