“I am very concerned about the growing number of cases of sanctions or threats of sanctions by the US against European companies and their interests. We see this trend with respect to Iran, Cuba, and recently with respect to Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream, the diplomat said in a statement.
Borrel emphasized that the extraterritorial application of sanctions is contrary to international law, including when it comes to European companies that engage in legitimate business.
On July 15, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US Department of State would include Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream in the recommendations of the sanctions law against companies involved in the projects.
The Foreign Minister of Germany, Heiko Maas, criticized Washington’s sanctions, and such steps were rejected by the Austrian Foreign Ministry.
As the press secretary of the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov noted, this is "a continuation of unfair competition, an attempt to force Europeans to buy more expensive gas under less favorable conditions."