EU and Germany denounce US sanctions

The European Union, led by Berlin, and Moscow strongly denounced Saturday the American sanctions in opposition to the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline, on the coronary heart of an financial and geopolitical battle between Washington and Brussels.

These sanctions got here at a time when the US in addition to sure European nations – Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic nations – concern that this tube will improve Europeans' dependence on Russian fuel, which Moscow may use to exert political strain.

Endorsed the day gone by by US President Donald Trump, the American measures "have an effect on German and European corporations and represent interference in our inside affairs", reacted a spokesperson for Angela Merkel.

"The federal government rejects these extraterritorial sanctions," insisted Ulrike Demmer in a very agency place. Germany is the primary beneficiary of the undertaking.

An EU spokesman for his half expressed Brussels' opposition "in precept to the imposition of sanctions in opposition to European corporations engaged in authorized actions".

First consequence of those measures: the Swiss firm Allseas, which owns the biggest pipelaying vessel on the planet and was engaged by the Russian group Gazprom to construct the offshore part of the pipeline, introduced on Saturday the suspension of its works set up of the fuel pipeline.

The corporate mentioned it’s now awaiting "regulatory, technical and environmental clarifications from the competent US authorities".

These sanctions, that are half of a giant US protection funds legislation for the 2020 fiscal yr, embrace the freezing of belongings and the revocation of US visas for pipeline contractors. The US State Division should now talk the names of the businesses and folks involved inside 60 days.

The announcement throws hassle on the way forward for this gigantic funding of ten billion euros, nearly accomplished and whose entry into service was scheduled for late 2019 or, extra possible, early 2020.

Nord Stream 2 has confirmed the suspension of labor by Allseas. "With all the businesses supporting the undertaking, we are going to work to complete the pipeline as quickly as potential," an organization spokesperson mentioned in a press release.

– "Significantly incomprehensible"

Moscow has additionally criticized the implementation of sanctions, attacking "the American ideology (which) can’t face up to international competitors".

"A state with a public debt of 22 trillion prohibits creditworthy nations from creating their actual financial system," Russian diplomacy spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned on Fb.

"Quickly, they’ll ask that we cease respiratory," she mentioned satirically.

Greater than 80% constructed, the submarine pipeline connecting Russia to Germany ought to double direct deliveries of Russian pure fuel to Western Europe through Germany.

America has additionally justified its sanctions by its want to help Kiev, in battle with Russia because the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the struggle in jap Ukraine.

However given the memorandum of understanding signed on Friday between the 2 protagonists to manage the transit of Russian fuel in Ukraine from 2020, the sanctions seem "notably incomprehensible," mentioned Demmer on Saturday.

The fuel pipeline represents an funding of round ten billion euros, financed half by Gazprom and the opposite half by 5 European corporations (OMV, Wintershall Dea, Engie, Uniper and Shell). It was imagined to enter service in late 2019 or, extra possible, early 2020.

Since its inception, many obstacles have stood in the best way of this undertaking. Nord Stream 2 solely obtained the inexperienced gentle from Denmark on the finish of October to cross its waters, which is more likely to delay its entry into service, initially scheduled for late 2019.

The brand new EU fuel transport guidelines, which require particularly the "decoupling" of manufacturing and distribution actions, are additionally a thorn within the aspect of the undertaking.

The European Union, led by Berlin, and Moscow strongly denounced Saturday the American sanctions in opposition to the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline, on the coronary heart of an financial and geopolitical battle between Washington and Brussels.

These sanctions got here at a time when the US in addition to sure European nations – Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic nations – concern that this tube will improve Europeans' dependence on Russian fuel, which Moscow may use to exert political strain.

Endorsed the day gone by by US President Donald Trump, the American measures "have an effect on German and European corporations and represent interference in our inside affairs", reacted a spokesperson for Angela Merkel.

"The federal government rejects these extraterritorial sanctions," insisted Ulrike Demmer in a very agency place. Germany is the primary beneficiary of the undertaking.

An EU spokesman for his half expressed Brussels' opposition "in precept to the imposition of sanctions in opposition to European corporations engaged in authorized actions".

First consequence of those measures: the Swiss firm Allseas, which owns the biggest pipelaying vessel on the planet and was engaged by the Russian group Gazprom to construct the offshore part of the pipeline, introduced on Saturday the suspension of its works set up of the fuel pipeline.

The corporate mentioned it’s now awaiting "regulatory, technical and environmental clarifications from the competent US authorities".

These sanctions, that are half of a giant US protection funds legislation for the 2020 fiscal yr, embrace the freezing of belongings and the revocation of US visas for pipeline contractors. The US State Division should now talk the names of the businesses and folks involved inside 60 days.

The announcement throws hassle on the way forward for this gigantic funding of ten billion euros, nearly accomplished and whose entry into service was scheduled for late 2019 or, extra possible, early 2020.

Nord Stream 2 has confirmed the suspension of labor by Allseas. "With all the businesses supporting the undertaking, we are going to work to complete the pipeline as quickly as potential," an organization spokesperson mentioned in a press release.

– "Significantly incomprehensible"

Moscow has additionally criticized the implementation of sanctions, attacking "the American ideology (which) can’t face up to international competitors".

"A state with a public debt of 22 trillion prohibits creditworthy nations from creating their actual financial system," Russian diplomacy spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned on Fb.

"Quickly, they’ll ask that we cease respiratory," she mentioned satirically.

Greater than 80% constructed, the submarine pipeline connecting Russia to Germany ought to double direct deliveries of Russian pure fuel to Western Europe through Germany.

America has additionally justified its sanctions by its want to help Kiev, in battle with Russia because the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the struggle in jap Ukraine.

However given the memorandum of understanding signed on Friday between the 2 protagonists to manage the transit of Russian fuel in Ukraine from 2020, the sanctions seem "notably incomprehensible," mentioned Demmer on Saturday.

The fuel pipeline represents an funding of round ten billion euros, financed half by Gazprom and the opposite half by 5 European corporations (OMV, Wintershall Dea, Engie, Uniper and Shell). It was imagined to enter service in late 2019 or, extra possible, early 2020.

Since its inception, many obstacles have stood in the best way of this undertaking. Nord Stream 2 solely obtained the inexperienced gentle from Denmark on the finish of October to cross its waters, which is more likely to delay its entry into service, initially scheduled for late 2019.

The brand new EU fuel transport guidelines, which require particularly the "decoupling" of manufacturing and distribution actions, are additionally a thorn within the aspect of the undertaking.

The European Union, led by Berlin, and Moscow strongly denounced Saturday the American sanctions in opposition to the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline, on the coronary heart of an financial and geopolitical battle between Washington and Brussels.

These sanctions got here at a time when the US in addition to sure European nations – Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic nations – concern that this tube will improve Europeans' dependence on Russian fuel, which Moscow may use to exert political strain.

Endorsed the day gone by by US President Donald Trump, the American measures "have an effect on German and European corporations and represent interference in our inside affairs", reacted a spokesperson for Angela Merkel.

"The federal government rejects these extraterritorial sanctions," insisted Ulrike Demmer in a very agency place. Germany is the primary beneficiary of the undertaking.

An EU spokesman for his half expressed Brussels' opposition "in precept to the imposition of sanctions in opposition to European corporations engaged in authorized actions".

First consequence of those measures: the Swiss firm Allseas, which owns the biggest pipelay vessel on the planet and was engaged by the Russian group Gazprom to construct the offshore part of the pipeline, introduced on Saturday the suspension of its works set up of the fuel pipeline.

The corporate mentioned it’s now awaiting "regulatory, technical and environmental clarifications from the competent US authorities".

These sanctions, that are half of a giant US protection funds legislation for the 2020 fiscal yr, embrace the freezing of belongings and the revocation of US visas for pipeline contractors. The US State Division should now talk the names of the businesses and folks involved inside 60 days.

The announcement throws hassle on the way forward for this gigantic funding of ten billion euros, nearly accomplished and whose entry into service was scheduled for late 2019 or, extra possible, early 2020.

Nord Stream 2 has confirmed the suspension of labor by Allseas. "With all the businesses supporting the undertaking, we are going to work to complete the pipeline as quickly as potential," an organization spokesperson mentioned in a press release.

– "Significantly incomprehensible"

Moscow has additionally criticized the implementation of sanctions, attacking "the American ideology (which) can’t face up to international competitors".

"A state with a public debt of 22 trillion prohibits creditworthy nations from creating their actual financial system," Russian diplomacy spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned on Fb.

"Quickly, they’ll ask that we cease respiratory," she mentioned satirically.

Greater than 80% constructed, the submarine pipeline connecting Russia to Germany ought to double direct deliveries of Russian pure fuel to Western Europe through Germany.

America has additionally justified its sanctions by its want to help Kiev, in battle with Russia because the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the struggle in jap Ukraine.

However given the memorandum of understanding signed on Friday between the 2 protagonists to manage the transit of Russian fuel in Ukraine from 2020, the sanctions seem "notably incomprehensible," mentioned Demmer on Saturday.

The fuel pipeline represents an funding of round ten billion euros, financed half by Gazprom and the opposite half by 5 European corporations (OMV, Wintershall Dea, Engie, Uniper and Shell). It was imagined to enter service in late 2019 or, extra possible, early 2020.

Since its inception, many obstacles have stood in the best way of this undertaking. Nord Stream 2 solely obtained the inexperienced gentle from Denmark on the finish of October to cross its waters, which is more likely to delay its entry into service, initially scheduled for late 2019.

The brand new EU fuel transport guidelines, which require particularly the "decoupling" of manufacturing and distribution actions, are additionally a thorn within the aspect of the undertaking.

The European Union, led by Berlin, and Moscow strongly criticized Saturday the American sanctions in opposition to the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline, on the coronary heart of an financial and geopolitical battle between Washington and Brussels.

These sanctions got here at a time when the US in addition to sure European nations – Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic nations – concern that this undertaking will improve the dependence of Europeans on Russian fuel, and strengthen Moscow's affect.

Endorsed the day earlier than by US President Donald Trump, the American measures "have an effect on German and European corporations and represent interference in our inside affairs", reacted Ulrike Demmer, a spokeswoman for Angela Merkel.

In an interview on ARD public tv, Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz spoke of "a severe intervention within the inside affairs of Germany and Europe", whereas excluding countermeasures . "It’s as much as the businesses concerned within the development of the pipeline to make the following selections," he mentioned.

Germany is the primary beneficiary of the undertaking.

An EU spokesman for his half expressed Brussels' opposition "in precept to the imposition of sanctions in opposition to European corporations engaged in authorized actions".

– Suspension of labor

First consequence of those sanctions: the Swiss firm Allseas, which owns the world's largest pipeline laying vessel and was engaged by the Russian group Gazprom to construct the offshore part of the pipeline, introduced on Saturday the suspension of its works set up of the fuel pipeline.

The corporate mentioned it’s now awaiting "regulatory, technical and environmental clarifications from the competent US authorities".

These sanctions, that are half of a giant US protection funds legislation for the 2020 fiscal yr, embrace the freezing of belongings and the revocation of US visas for pipeline contractors. The US State Division should now talk the names of the businesses and folks involved inside 60 days.

The announcement throws hassle on the way forward for this gigantic funding of ten billion euros, nearly accomplished and whose entry into service was scheduled for late 2019 or, extra possible, early 2020.

Nord Stream 2 has confirmed the suspension of labor by Allseas. "With all the businesses supporting the undertaking, we are going to work to complete the pipeline as quickly as potential," mentioned a spokesperson for the corporate.

– "Significantly incomprehensible"

Moscow has additionally sharply criticized the implementation of sanctions, attacking "the American ideology (which) can’t face up to international competitors".

"A state with a public debt of 22 trillion prohibits creditworthy nations from creating their actual financial system," Russian diplomacy spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned on Fb. "Quickly, they’ll ask that we cease respiratory," she mentioned satirically.

On Twitter, Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiï Gontcharouk then again "welcomed the signature by Donald Trump of the sanctions in opposition to Nord Stream". The brand new pipeline would additional cut back the affect of Ukraine, by which a part of Russian fuel passes to Europe.

Greater than 80% constructed, the submarine pipeline connecting Russia to Germany ought to double direct deliveries of Russian pure fuel to Western Europe through Germany.

America justified its sanctions by its want to help Kiev, in battle with Russia because the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the struggle in jap Ukraine.

However given the memorandum of understanding signed Friday between the 2 protagonists to increase the transit of Russian fuel in Ukraine from 2020, the sanctions seem "notably incomprehensible", mentioned the spokeswoman for the Chancellery on Saturday.

The fuel pipeline represents an funding of round ten billion euros, financed half by Gazprom and the opposite half by 5 European corporations (OMV, Wintershall Dea, Engie, Uniper and Shell). It was imagined to enter service in late 2019 or, extra possible, early 2020.

Since its inception, many obstacles have stood in the best way of Nord Stream 2, which didn’t get the inexperienced gentle from Denmark till the top of October to cross its waters. That is more likely to delay its commissioning, initially scheduled for late 2019.

The brand new EU fuel transport guidelines, which require particularly the "decoupling" of manufacturing and distribution actions, additionally represent an extra impediment.