Sanctions against Nord Stream 2 and Putin’s entourage disappeared from the US defense budget

This happened shortly after the talks between Putin and Biden. At the same time, the US Senate agreed to allocate $ 4 billion to contain the Russian Federation and $ 300 million in military aid to Ukraine.

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The draft US military budget does not contain any mention of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. About it said in a statement to the draft U.S. defense budget for 2022, which is posted on the House of Representatives website.

“The bill of the House of Representatives contained a provision (section 1325) that would order the President (US Joe Biden) to impose sanctions against Nord Stream 2. There was no such provision in the Senate amendment, and there is no such provision in the statement either,” the document says.

35 Russians from Putin’s entourage

An item on the introduction of sanctions against 35 Russians from the circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin was excluded from the draft defense budget. This list includes Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, CEC head Ella Pamfilova, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov and businessmen Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov.

The draft budget also did not include a ban for US citizens from transactions related to the sovereign debt of the Russian Federation.

US military aid

US lawmakers agreed to set aside $ 4 billion for military containment of Russia. Senators decided to provide $ 300 million in military aid to Ukraine.

Prior to the release of this statement, the American agency Bloomberg wrote on the US plans to achieve a complete stop of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if Russia invades Ukraine. According to sources, Washington wants to force Germany to abandon the pipeline in this scenario.

The Senate discussed possible options for imposing sanctions against Russian banks and the export of goods from the Russian Federation. The sanctions package must be quick to implement, comprehensive and painful.

Given that the pipeline has not been launched, Germany will find ways to slow the completion of the Nord Stream 2 project in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, one official said.

Note that the statement to the draft US defense budget was released after Biden’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Recall that NJSC “Naftogaz of Ukraine” will participate in certification the operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 AG.

Focus before that he wrote that some German politicians did not want Ukraine to participate in certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. In particular, the deputy of the “Left Party” Klaus Ernst argued that Ukraine does not pay for the supplied gas volumes.

Also European Commission may extend certification of Nord Stream 2 until May 8, 2022 due to bureaucratic procedures.

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