Most likely, the Senate of the US Congress will not approve the bill on the introduction of a new package of sanctions against the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream-2, which was previously proposed by the Republican Ted Cruz, writes the American newspaper Politico.
According to sources of the publication, representatives of the Democratic Party, who previously supported the introduction of tough sanctions against Nord Stream-2, on Wednesday “signaled a change in their position.” Politico writes that the senators decided “not to interfere with the interaction of US President Joe Biden with Russia.”
The newspaper’s analysts stressed that the Democrats have previously consistently supported sanctions against the Russian pipeline Nord Stream 2, but they cannot go against Biden while he is “conducting dangerous negotiations with Moscow.”
60 votes are required for the bill to be approved by the US Senate. The document must be approved by the House of Representatives before it goes to the President of the United States for signing. Politico notes that if there are no surprises, then Cruz’s bill will not be able to overcome the 60-vote mark.
“At this stage, when we follow the possible actions of Russia in Ukraine, it is very important for us to work together with our allies, and Germany is one of the very important allies for us. Therefore, I think this amendment is not timely”, said Gene Shaheen, Democratic Senator from New Hampshire.
The Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline consists of two lines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the coast of Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea. The construction of the project was completed on September 10, 2021. The pipeline certification process is currently underway. The United States has repeatedly opposed Nord Stream 2 because it wants to export its liquefied gas to European countries.