RPT - Nord Stream 2 Project Will Be Implemented Despite US Pressure - German Lawmakers

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published January 15, 2021 | 11:10 AM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th January, 2021) The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project will be implemented despite pressure from the United States, lawmakers of various German political parties told Sputnik.

The US government was reported on Wednesday to have notified European companies suspected of assisting Russia in the construction of Nord Stream 2 about the risk of sanctions from the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump.

"Yes, Nord Stream 2 will be implemented. Not regarding energy and climate positions, the EU may let another government decide over its economic relations with other countries. The USA are going way too far here," Thomas Lutze, a member of the Bundestag Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy from democratic socialist Die Linke (the Left) party told Sputnik.

That sentiment was echoed by his counterpart from the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Heiko Hessenkemper.

"I believe that the Nord Stream 2 Project is in the mutual interest and follows economic rationality.

Therefore, I believe that despite the American pressure on Germany and Gazprom's European partners, the project will be successfully completed," Hessenkemper said.

A fellow AfD lawmaker on the energy commission, Hansjorg Muller, stressed that Washington would persist in its efforts to undermine the pipeline.

"Yes, but the additional burden on money and time will potentially be far from negligible. We expect the US to manufacture new open (sanctions) as well as new covert (Navalny-story-style) methods to torpedo the project," Muller told Sputnik.

The Nord Stream 2 project aims to lay a 745-mile-long twin pipeline that will carry up to 1.942 trillion cubic feet of gas per year from Russia to Germany, passing through the territorial waters or exclusive economic zones of Denmark, Finland, Germany, Russia and Sweden.

The US is a vocal opponent to the project, as well as Berlin's alleged dependence on Russian natural resources.