US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Urges Secretary of State Blinken to Impose Sanctions on Nord Stream 2

Robert Menendez, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Within the U.S. Democratic Party, voices are growing calling for the Biden administration to impose sanctions related to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

On the 23rd (local time), according to major foreign media, Democratic Senators Robert Menendez (New Jersey) and Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) urged the government to impose sanctions related to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Senator Menendez is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Shaheen is the chair of the Europe Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee.

In a letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, they argued that sanctions should be imposed on Nord Stream 2 within the scope permitted by current law.

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is a 1,230 km long pipeline connecting Russia and Western Europe. It is being constructed under the leadership of Russia's state-owned natural gas company Gazprom. Originally scheduled for completion in 2019, construction has been delayed due to U.S. threats to sanction companies involved in the project. A total of $11 billion has been invested in the Nord Stream 2 construction, and the current completion rate is about 94%. Experts expect the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to be completed between June and September of this year.

In Europe, the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is considered necessary. Russian natural gas accounts for one-third of the European Union (EU)'s natural gas consumption. In particular, Germany plans to shut down all its nuclear power plants next year, making it essential to secure natural gas.

The reason the U.S. continues to raise issues with Nord Stream 2 is largely to contain Russia. Russia has consistently used energy as a weapon to exert influence over Europe.

On the other hand, there is also analysis that the U.S. opposition to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction includes a calculation to sell its own natural gas (LNG) to Europe.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.