“As you know, the Russians are actively promoting disinformation that those involved in this pipeline will not face sanctions. The Russians promoted disinformation that the legislative measures I had proposed earlier, supported by both parties, would not be adopted. This was not true - the law was passed with the support of an overwhelming majority from both parties ... I believe, in accordance with the Law on Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions, you now have all the legal authority to make it very clear to everyone involved in the construction of this pipeline that the consequences of this will be catastrophic and should not be done, ”the senator explained.
However, he added that if the project is successfully completed, the economic interests and national security of the United States and Europe will be “seriously damaged”.
Earlier, the US House of Representatives approved the draft defense budget for fiscal 2021 - the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) - containing amendments to strengthen sanctions against Nord Stream 2.
In addition, Pompeo announced the possibility of extending the action of the Law on Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions (CAATSA) to Nord Stream 2 and the second string of Turkish Stream.
In turn, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova called the threats of the American side the use of political pressure for unscrupulous competition.