Barrasso is pushing his bipartisan legislation that will keep Nord Stream 2 pipeline construction from being completed.
CASPER, WY – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) praised the Trump administration’s announcement that Russian energy export pipelines in Europe, including the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, are subject to sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline would carry natural gas from Russia to Germany giving Russia significant leverage over our European allies.
“Today’s announcement by the Trump administration is a huge step toward blocking the dangerous Nord Stream 2 pipeline,” said Barrasso. “For years, we’ve seen Russia use energy as a geopolitical weapon. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a Russian trap. Today’s action threatens sanctions on companies investing in Putin’s pipeline. Congress is looking forward to passing our bipartisan legislation to reinforce this message and give the administration the tools it needs to keep this pipeline from being completed.”
Background
Some of America’s European allies are increasingly dependent on Russian gas. Russia continues to undermine peace and security in Europe through a variety of mechanisms, including its use of energy as a geopolitical weapon.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would carry natural gas from Russia to Germany, would make Europe more reliant on Russian gas by undermining the diversification of Europe’s energy sources, supplies and routes.
In March 2018, Barrasso led a bipartisan group of 39 senators in sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan encouraging the Trump administration to utilize all tools at its disposal – including a provision in the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) – to prevent construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
In May 2019, Sens. Cruz, Shaheen and Barrasso introduced the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act, legislation imposing devastating, targeted sanctions on vessels that Putin needs to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Their bill advanced out of the Foreign Relations Committee with overwhelming support and was signed into law in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020.
In June 2020, the senators introduced new legislation clarifying and expanding U.S. sanctions related to Nord Stream 2, applying them to vessels engaged in all pipe laying activities. The sanctions were also extended to those facilitating or providing vessels, insurance, port facilities, or tethering services for those vessels, and ultimately to any company providing certification for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to begin operations.
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