U.S. President Joe Biden is trying to quash defense bill amendments that would impose strong sanctions on companies involved in Nord Stream 2 and limit his ability to waive them, according to a Nov. 24 article by Foreign Policy magazine.
Five Republican senators introduced the amendments, which some Democrats fear could interfere with Biden’s sanction powers, Foreign Policy reported citing anonymous sources. According to the magazine, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and top White House aides have been calling senators, urging them to kill the amendment.
The undersea pipeline from Russia to Germany that bypasses Ukraine is complete, but still needs to be certified by Germany’s energy regulator before it could start transporting gas.
The U.S. has sanctioned a total of eight individuals and 17 vessels related to Nord Stream 2. However, Biden waived sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the main company behind the pipeline, in pursuit of better relations with Germany.
