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The State Department told Congress it had designated a vessel and a “Russian-related entity” called Transadria Ltd. use energy supply as a lever for Europe.
Blinken said the report to Congress and the sanctions were in line with the requirements of the Protecting Europe Energy Security Act 2019.
“Today’s report is in line with continued US opposition to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the US government’s continued compliance with PEESA,” Blinken said in its statement. “With today’s action, the administration has now sanctioned 8 people and identified 17 of their vessels as assets stranded under PEESA as part of Nord Stream 2.”
“Even as the administration continues to oppose the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, including through our sanctions, we continue to work with Germany and other allies and partners to reduce the risks posed by the pipeline to Ukraine and frontline NATO and EU countries and to push back against harmful Russian activities, including in the energy field, â€Blinken said.
Monday’s sanctions come amid reports of a rally of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine raised fears that Moscow is considering some sort of military action.
Biden administration officials said that with the pipeline nearing completion by the time he took office, President Joe Biden lifted sanctions on German companies behind the construction of the pipeline in a bid to mend the relationship. with Berlin. Instead, administration officials said they plan to take further action.
“Today’s appointments will do absolutely nothing to stop Nord Stream 2,” said Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “I urge the Senate to pass my bipartisan amendment to the NDAA with Rep. Marcy Kaptur extending the sanctions for Nord Stream 2. We must act now to ensure that gas never crosses this evil Russian-influenced project.”
Nord Stream 2 is one of several pipelines that Russia has laid underwater in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea to replace pipelines running through Eastern Europe. Analysts and lawmakers have raised concerns that the new system allows Russia to create different gas flows for Eastern and Western Europe and could allow Moscow to target in such a way selective countries such as Ukraine with power cuts.
Bypassing Eastern European countries also means that those countries would be deprived of the transit fees that Russia would otherwise pay for the pipeline to cross their territories.
A State Department spokesperson said the administration was working with Germany, Ukraine and other allies and partners to implement a July deal to help Ukraine diversify its energy supplies. with an emphasis on clean and sustainable energies.
“The package detailed in the joint statement provides for at least 245 million dollars in new funding to help Ukraine diversify its energy resources,” the spokesperson said. “He also urges Germany to use all available levers to facilitate an extension of Ukraine’s gas transit agreement with Russia, which would help preserve billions of dollars in transit revenue for Ukraine. and to buy time for Ukraine to eliminate its dependence on Russian gas and transit charges, including with support from the United States. ”
Monday’s U.S. sanctions follow Berlin’s decision to suspend Nord Stream 2’s certification process last week, as the Swiss-based group behind the project had to form a German subsidiary in order to obtain a license to operate. ‘exploitation. News of the delay has caused European gas prices to skyrocket.
