Germany, EU Condemn US Sanctions on Gas Pipeline

Germany accused the US of interfering in its internal affairs on Saturday for imposing sanctions on companies working on a major project to supply Western Europe with Russian gas.

Moscow and the European Union also issued statements criticising the sanctions, a day after President Donald Trump signed off on asset freezes and visa restrictions on those involved in the Nord Stream 2 project.

US lawmakers are seeking to stymie what they regard as an increasing reliance on Russian energy in Western Europe by targeting the project, which aims to double deliveries of Russian natural gas to Germany via a pipeline under the Baltic Sea.

The sanctions target contractors working to lay pipes for Nord Stream 2 — a 10-billion-euro (USD 11-billion) project expected to be completed in early 2020 — and another Russian gas project, TurkStream.

Swiss contractor Allseas said after the sanctions were imposed that it had “suspended its Nord Stream 2 pipelay activities”.