China News Agency, Moscow, November 25 (Reporter Tian Bing) Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova stated at a regular press conference on the 25th that the US sanctions against the "Beixi-2" natural gas pipeline project are illegal. This move not only harms the interests of the United States, but also disregards the interests of American allies.

  Zakharova said that the US government's further sanctions against companies related to the "North Stream-2" natural gas pipeline project seemed to be a "real obsession" because the project is in the preparation stage for completion of the commissioning.

  Zakharova said that the purely commercial nature of the natural gas pipeline and its importance to Germany and the European Union to stabilize energy supply and maintain overall competitiveness are well known.

On the one hand, the United States has erected barriers to the export of Russian energy resources to the European market. On the other hand, it has lobbied Russia and other energy-producing countries to increase production in order to suppress energy prices.

  She said that this situation proves that Washington does not respect or even ignore the interests of its allies.

In Germany, it is not accidental that some voices described the US action directly against the "Beixi-2" project as contrary to the spirit of bilateral partnership.

"The United States reflexively opposes any cooperation with Russia, even if it is beneficial to the United States."

  Zakharova reiterated that such unilateral anti-Russian sanctions by the United States are illegal.

"It is not so much that they are attacking us, it is more that they are attacking the interests of the United States itself, and the sanctions against the'Beixi-2' project are for the United States to attack its direct allies, the EU and Germany, whether it is the EU as a whole or individual countries."

  The US government announced on the 22nd that it would sanction a “Russian-related” entity and two ships involved in the “Beixi-2” natural gas pipeline project.

  The "Beixi-2" project is a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea bottom. The project pipeline consists of two branch lines.

The project has a designed annual gas transmission capacity of approximately 55 billion cubic meters, which can bypass Ukraine and transport Russian natural gas to Germany and other European countries.

  The United States has long opposed and obstructed the "Beixi-2" project, calling it a Russian geostrategic project, while Germany and Russia said it was a commercial project.

The Russian side has repeatedly stated that the US side’s obstruction of the “Beixi-2” project intends to squeeze the share of the Russian energy market and attempt to sell more US natural gas to Europe at high prices.

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