US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 are discussed: New package expected
Photo: Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Advisor and Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
The US is considering extending sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which are set to expire at the end of 2024. In addition, new sanctions packages from the US and the UK are expected, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Advisor and Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, tells in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
"This issue (extending sanctions on Nord Stream 2 – ed.) is currently under discussion. I hope that by the end of November unless circumstances change, there will be a new sanctions package from the US and the UK targeting Russia's tanker fleet and financial institutions," Vlasiuk stated.
The Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy also noted that the work on this issue is progressing regardless of the US election.
Nord Stream
The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, built by Russia's Gazprom, were designed to transport 110 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to Germany and other European nations. However, Nord Stream 2 never became operational due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Gazprom halted Nord Stream 1 operations in the summer of 2022.
On September 26, 2022, three of the pipelines' four sections were blown up. Investigations revealed significant activity by Russian military vessels near the pipelines shortly before the explosions.
Media reports also suggested a theory that Ukrainian saboteurs operating from a yacht might have been involved, but this has not been treated as a credible explanation.
In February 2024, Denmark and Sweden announced the conclusion of their investigations into the Nord Stream explosions.
