The US has expanded sanctions against Nord Stream 2

The US authorities extended the PEESA (Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act) sanctions against Nord Stream 2 not only to companies laying the gas pipeline, but also to companies providing services, facilities for upgrading or installing equipment on ships for laying the gas pipeline. The measures should prevent Gazprom from re-equipping the pipe-laying vessel to complete the project.

The State Department indicates that companies and people providing such services will not be subject to sanctions if they terminate cooperation in 30 days from October 20.

In December last year, the United States imposed sanctions against companies laying pipes for Nord Stream 2. The Swiss Allseas, which at that moment was engaged in the construction of the gas pipeline, had to immediately stop work in order not to fall under sanctions. Since that moment, Gazprom has been searching for Russian vessels capable of completing the construction of Nord Stream 2.

As such a ship, the media called the pipelayer "Akademik Chersky". In October, the ship . changed its location for the first time in months, according to MarineTraffic On October 1, Chersky left the logistics base of Nord Stream 2 in the German port of Mukran, where pipes are stored to complete the construction of the gas pipeline, and arrived at the Curonian Spit on October 8. Since October 14, he has been at sea in the "limited maneuverability" mode. This indirectly testifies to the testing of equipment, wrote . Kommersant

In addition, the supply vessel Finval, registered with Gazprombank Leasing, drifted next to the pipelayer last week, the status of which was indicated as “testing”. Also near the "Chersky" were the supply vessels of the Marine Rescue Service - "Baltic Researcher" and "Umka". Two more supply vessels, Ostap Sheremeta and Ivan Sidorenko, are in tow in Kaliningrad. Supply vessels are required to deliver pipes to pipelayers. Gazprom declined to comment on information about the movement of ships.

Nord Stream 2 involves the construction of two strings of a gas pipeline with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. The United States opposes the gas pipeline, explaining that Russia is trying to expand its influence in the world with the help of energy resources and weaken Europe's energy security. The Russian authorities believe that Washington's position is explained by economic interests: the United States wants to supply Europe with its own liquefied gas, which now costs more than Russian.

US sanctions will not be imposed in cases where the provision of services was related to the protection of human life or the prevention of environmental disaster, the State Department said in a statement.