US State Department seeks to convince Democrats in the Senate to block the amendment to the country’s defense budget project for the next fiscal year, which began on October 1. The initiative involves the introduction of sanctions against companies involved in the certification of the North Stream-2 gas pipeline, writes the Hill newspaper.
US President Joe Bayden expressed concerns of the more rigid actions on the project, since it was frightened to cause Germany’s discontent, which is an important European ally in the fight against climate change and in order to limit the growing influence of China in the world. ” Therefore, the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has conceived to cancel the sanctions for the certification of “Northern Flow-2”.
Blinken called on the Democratic senators to block the amendments represented by their colleagues Jim Ride (from Idaho State), the Senior Republican in the Senate Committee, and Ted Cruise (Republican from the state of Texas) on the introduction of sanctions against the gas pipeline. However, according to the version of the publication, Rish and Cruz will “seek conducting a vote.”
“These amendments also suggest the imposition of sanctions against companies involved in the inspections and certification of the gas pipeline, which must be done before putting it into operation,” explains the Hill.
Earlier in Germany declared the possibility of launching “Northern Stream-2” without certification. Similar situations have already happened: in particular, we are talking about German projects NEL and EGL 401.