US threatens sanctions over Russian pipeline

The US ambassador to Germany has warned of sanctions against companies linked to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, the American embassy in Berlin said yesterday. A letter sent by envoy Richard Grenell to businesses “reminds that any company operating in the Russian energy pipeline sector is in danger under US sanctions”, an embassy spokesman said. The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 targets Iran, Russia and North Korea. Construction has begun on Nord Stream 2, which is set to double the capacity of an existing pipeline across the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 2 would do away with the need to transport natural gas to Europe through Ukraine, robbing the country of a factor shielding it from Russian aggression, Mr Grenell said.