This archive report was first published on 21 December 2019.
On December 21, 2019, US President Donald Trump signed a sprawling defense spending bill at Joint Base Andrews, an air force installation outside Washington, DC. The bill included sanctions opposed by the European Union, which target companies building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea.
The pipeline, valued at nearly $11 billion, aims to double deliveries of Russian natural gas to Germany, Europe's leading economy. US lawmakers have warned that the pipeline would enrich a hostile Russian government and increase President Vladimir Putin's influence in Europe at a time of heightened tension.
Both houses of Congress overwhelmingly approved the sanctions, with the Senate voting to send the measure to Trump's desk. Trump, who has been accused of being soft on Putin, had little choice but to give his approval, as a veto would likely have been overturned.
The sanctions target pipe-laying vessels for Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream, a Russia-Turkey pipeline, and include asset freezes and revocation of US visas for contractors. One major contractor that could be hit is Swiss-based Allseas, hired by Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom to build the offshore section.
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican ally of Trump, said halting Nord Stream 2 should be a major security priority for the United States and Europe alike. However, Senator Rand Paul voted against the bill, objecting to its bid to sanction NATO allies and potentially American energy companies.
