US President Joe Biden announced sanctions on Wednesday against the company in charge of operating the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which links Russia with Germany, in a new measure to respond to Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
“I have directed my administration to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG and its leaders,” Biden said in a statement.
“These measures are part of our first round of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine,” he stressed.
The announcement, which points to one of the biggest geostrategic initiatives of Russia, an energy-rich country, comes after Germany announced on Tuesday that it would suspend this controversial gas pipeline.
This 1,230-kilometer submarine tube under the Baltic Sea, worth 11,000 million dollars (9,700 million euros), was completed at the end of 2021, but had not yet been put into operation because it was pending authorization from Germany.
The United States is against the pipeline from the outset, because it would weaken Ukraine economically and strategically and believes it would increase the EU’s dependence on Russian gas.
Biden thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for “holding Russia accountable for its actions.”
