EU threatens to take countermeasures against US sanctions against Nord Stream 2. This was reported by the German Handelsblatt, referring to the written response of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrel, to the request of the European Parliament.
How exactly the response measures will look is not mentioned. The newspaper explains that at the end of 2019, Donald Trump introduced penalties against firms involved in the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. Now Borrell has stated that such a move does not comply with EU law and violates international law.
“The European Commission is preparing the adoption of a strengthened sanctions mechanism that will improve the resilience of Europe against the influence of extraterritorial sanctions imposed by third countries,” the publication quotes an excerpt from Borrell’s response.
Trump has long criticized Nord Stream 2 and accuses Germany of providing Russia with high returns by buying Russian gas. Recently, US senators announced the expansion of sanctions against the pipeline. Meanwhile, the construction of Nord Stream 2 is almost complete, says Handelsblatt.