The US plans to impose sanctions on a Russian ship involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2

The US plans to impose sanctions on a Russian ship involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2

The United States has told European allies that it plans to impose sanctions on the Russian ship Fortuna, which is involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany after the Baltic Sea. The German business daily Handelsblatt reported on Monday. The US administration reportedly told government officials in Berlin and other European capitals that the sanctions would take effect on Tuesday and would be imposed on the ship and its owner, KVT-RUS. Nord Stream 2 aims to double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream submarine pipeline. The project has sparked disputes between Moscow and Washington. The United States also says it will increase Europe's dependence on Russian energy.

The German office gave the green light to the construction

A group of companies involved in the construction of the pipeline stopped work in December 2019 due to the threat of sanctions by Washington. At the end of last week, however, the German Federal Office for Shipping and Hydrography BSH gave the green light to the construction of a controversial gas pipeline. A spokesman for the US embassy in Berlin told Handelsblatt that Washington would continue to take "all necessary and appropriate steps" to prevent the construction of Nord Stream 2. The US government hopes that Germany will reconsider its position on the pipeline, he added. The US State Department and the Treasury Department in Washington have not yet responded to requests for comments. A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry and a spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Economy said they were examining the report.

Fortuna is moored off the German coast

Referring to a spokesman for Nord Stream 2, Handelsblatt wrote that it was up to the European Union and the governments of the participating countries to protect companies from any sanctions. Gazprom declined to comment and journalists failed to contact KVT-RUS. According to Refinitiv's ship tracking data, Fortuna is still moored near the port of Rostock in northern Germany.