WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) blasted the Biden administration for waiving sanctions on the corporate entity (Nord Stream 2 AG) and CEO overseeing the construction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
The pipeline would carry natural gas from Russia to Germany, giving Russia significant leverage over our European allies.
“The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a Russian trap that the Biden administration is willingly walking into,” said Barrasso. “Congress has passed bipartisan sanctions to stop this dangerous pipeline multiple times. We know Russia uses energy as a geopolitical weapon to threaten our friends and allies. The Biden administration is allowing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to be added to Russia’s arsenal. Waiving sanctions on the company overseeing its construction gives Russia the green light to speed ahead to completion. It is a grave mistake. National security is tied to energy security and our European allies are at risk.”
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 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.
In March 2021, Senator Barrasso led a group of 40 senators in sending a letter to President Biden criticizing the administration for failing to follow the law and impose sanctions on entities involved in Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The letter called on the administration to correct its misguided actions by quickly and fully implementing the sanctions mandated by U.S. law.
On March 17, 2021, Barrasso wrote an op-ed in Newsweek on how the Biden administration was giving the green light to Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline but killing the Keystone XL Pipeline at the same time.
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