On January 19, Washington expanded its sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas transmission project.

This was announced by the US Treasury Department.

The intention of the United States authorities to introduce another package of restrictions became known the day before, the information was confirmed by an official representative of the Ministry of Economy and Energy of Germany.

“We regret to take note of this statement (on the imposition of sanctions. -

RT

),” she said.

We are talking about the US sanctions against the pipe-laying vessel Fortuna and the Russian company KBT-Rus, which has owned it since December 2020.

Restrictions have traditionally been introduced through the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

According to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the United States will soon consider additional sanctions against Russia within the framework of CAATSA.

Continuation of the old line

Moscow has already commented on another US attempt to interrupt the construction of the pipeline.

As the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told reporters, the international project "Nord Stream 2" continues to face "gross, illegal pressure" from the United States.

“Actions aimed at the introduction of illegal from the point of view of international law restrictions on economic operators, including those related to this project, continues and grows.

We regret this, ”said Peskov.

The day before, on January 18, the press secretary of the US Embassy in Berlin, Joseph Giordano-Scholz, told the German DPA agency that the arrest of “Kremlin critic” Alexei Navalny, made on that day, played a role in promoting sanctions.

  • Pipe-laying barge "Fortuna"

  • globallookpress.com

  • © Jens Büttner

According to the diplomat, the arrest was "another clear signal that Russia's behavior is not changing."

In addition, he said, the United States still hopes that Germany will reconsider its position on the pipeline.

The impending sanctions were previously reported by the German edition Handelsblatt.

The newspaper quoted a spokesman for the American embassy, ​​who said that the United States will continue to take "all necessary and appropriate (proportionate) steps" to prevent the construction of Nord Stream 2.

"Although we do not comment on future sanctions measures, we continue to exchange information on potential sanctions issues with allies and partners," Handelsblatt was quoted as saying by an embassy spokesman.

According to experts, the new US sanctions are groundless.

This point of view was expressed by the Deputy General Director for Gas Issues of the National Energy Security Fund Alexei Grivach in the RT commentary.

“It is unclear on what basis these sanctions are being introduced, because the ship“ Fortuna ”has not even started work yet.

However, these restrictions will not be able to affect the construction progress.

Earlier, the Russian side took measures to prevent US sanctions from affecting the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project, the expert explained.

Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Russian government, shares a similar opinion.

As the expert noted in an interview with RT, the Fortuna ship has not yet operated in deep water, so it is unclear on what basis the United States is imposing sanctions against it.

“But these restrictions will not prevent the construction of Nord Stream 2.

The essence of the sanctions is to slow down the work of companies operating in the international market, for example, by blocking their dollar accounts, etc.

But for a Russian ship, this threat is not terrible, especially since the ship has changed its owner.

Not to mention the fact that apart from Fortuna there is also “Academician Chersky - this ship can also lay gas pipeline pipes,” Yushkov explained.

The expert also added that the new US sanctions do not add anything to the previous restrictions that Washington has already introduced. 

Rising pressure

The new sanctions are far from the first restrictions that Washington is imposing against the Russian-European gas project.

Restrictions against Nord Stream 2 were contained in the US defense budget adopted in December 2019.

Then the American restrictions forced the Swiss company Allseas to withdraw from the project.

She was engaged in the laying of pipes for the gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.

However, as Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Board of Gazprom PJSC said in January 2020, Russia is capable of completing the construction of the gas pipeline on its own.

“Of course, this will take a little more time, but we have no technological obstacles to do this on our own,” he said in the program “Moscow.

Kremlin.

Putin "on the air of the channel" Russia 1 ". 

In July 2020, the Danish Energy Agency authorized Nord Stream 2 AG to use anchor pipelayers for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the country's territorial waters.

This made it possible to connect the Russian barge Fortuna to the work - previously only the Russian ship Akademik Chersky could lay pipes. 

In October 2020, the US State Department expanded the interpretation of the existing sanctions under the PEESA line.

The Foreign Ministry explained that the restrictions apply not only to those companies that are directly involved in laying the pipeline, but also those that provide services to the project and supply goods.

After that, the Norwegian company Det Norske Veritas - Germanischer Lloyd (DNV GL) left the project, which was checking the construction work for compliance with various standards. 

Nevertheless, at the end of December, work was completed on laying a gas pipeline in the exclusive economic zone of the Federal Republic of Germany on a section of 2.6 km.

This was reported by the DPA agency with reference to the statement of the Nord Stream 2. The next stage will be work in the waters of Denmark. 

At the same time, on January 1, 2021, bypassing the presidential veto, the US Senate adopted the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2021 fiscal year (started on October 1), which provides for further measures to tighten restrictions on the gas transportation project.

The document includes a provision supplementing a subsection of the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act (PEESA), which deals with the expansion of sanctions against Nord Stream 2. and underwriting (underwriting - guarantees of receiving payments in case of financial losses) services. 

  • US Senate

  • Reuters

  • © AP Photo / J.

    Scott Applewhite

After that, the Danish publication Politiken, citing its sources, reported on January 13, 2021, that the Danish engineering company Rambøll was withdrawing from the Nord Stream 2 project due to the threat of US sanctions.

Later, the Swiss company Zurich Insurance Group confirmed that it was withdrawing from the project for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

In addition, as Bild reports, the German concern Bilfinger SE decided to refuse to participate in the project.

"Exceptional circumstances"

Constant pressure from the United States makes it difficult to implement the project.

Gazprom does not exclude that the construction of the gas pipeline may be suspended.

This was reported by Reuters with reference to the prospectus for the placement of the company's Eurobonds.

"In exceptional circumstances, including as a result of political pressure, such changes (of political conditions. -

RT

) may lead to the suspension or termination of the project," the message says.

Experts also do not exclude the likelihood of suspending the project, while they note the uncertainty in the actions of the European partners.

According to Igor Yushkov, the construction of the gas pipeline may be completed by July or August this year.

However, after that, a new stage of Washington's struggle may start: it is possible that the United States will try to block the operation of Nord Stream 2, the expert said.

“The main risk is not even that the pipeline will not be completed, but that there are no guarantees that European countries will put Nord Stream 2 into operation.

There is no final clarity yet whether the Europeans intend to pursue their own line on this issue or will listen to the United States, ”the expert said.

In turn, Aleksey Grivach recalled that Washington is imposing sanctions against Nord Stream 2 throughout the entire period of work on laying the pipeline.

  • Russian ship "Akademik Chersky"

  • © Gazprom fleet

“The sanctions are constantly expanding as the construction of the gas pipeline continues.

According to the plan, Nord Stream 2 should be completed during the first half of 2021.

But given the active opposition, blackmail and pressure from the United States, the process may drag on, "the expert believes.

At the same time, Gazprom announced its intention to complete the construction of the gas pipeline, despite the strong sanctions pressure on the project.

According to RIA Novosti, a statement was made by one of the company's top managers, speaking at a press conference.

He confirmed that Gazprom intends to complete this project, build a gas pipeline and supply gas to its European consumers through it. "