The German Cabinet of Ministers reacted to the refusal of a number of firms in Germany and the United States to work with the Nord Stream-2 project. RIA Novosti reports.
“This is, of course, always a decision of the companies,” said German government spokesman Steffen Seiber.
The fact that at least 18 European companies withdrew from the Nord Stream 2 project became known on the eve of February 23rd. According to the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, citing the report of the US Secretary of State to Congress, this was due to the threat of sanctions from the United States.
Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The facility is currently 95 percent complete, with an estimated cost of $ 11 billion.
The gas pipeline was supposed to be commissioned at the end of 2019, but the completion of construction had to be postponed due to US sanctions. Construction of the facility is being obstructed in Washington as US liquefied natural gas (LNG) competes with Russian pipeline fuel for the European market. Russia, meanwhile, promises to complete the construction of the facility. Gazprom does not give exact dates because they depend on many factors, including weather.