The U.S. Senate rejected on Jan. 13 legislation that would sanction businesses tied to the development of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, according to The Hill.
The bill, introduced by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), failed to garner the required 60 votes, with Senators voting 55-44 to oppose it, largely along party lines.
“President Biden should listen to the Senate and to the people and government of Ukraine and reverse his catastrophic decision to grant Russia waivers from congressionally mandated sanctions,“
said Cruz in a tweet after the vote, according to The New York Post.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had asked the Senate to approve the Nord Stream 2 sanctions.
U.S. President Joe Biden opposed the bill, which he said would damage relations with Germany. Germany had specifically asked that the U.S. Congress not propose sanctions. Back in May, Biden had waived sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the Russian-owned, Swiss-based company for the pipeline project, as part of an agreement with Germany.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) argued that the bill would be a “gift” for Russian President Vladimir Putin by dividing the U.S. from Germany, according to The Hill.
Nord Stream 2 is the controversial gas pipeline that Russia’s energy giant, Gazprom, constructed with measured support from Europe. It runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany’s Baltic coast. The pipeline’s construction phase is complete and Russia is awaiting German approval before beginning operations. Germany, which has strong business ties with Russia, has long supported the effort but has withheld certification in response to pressure from other European countries and the U.S.
Nord Stream 2 would double Moscow's annual gas export capacity in the Baltic to 110 billion cubic meters, according to Reuters, increasing supply and potentially stabilizing prices .
Many in the West have voiced concerns about Europe relying on Russia for much of its natural gas needs. Ukraine perceives Nord Stream 2 as both a security and an economic threat as it would allow Russia to circumvent the current gas pipeline that currently runs through Ukrainian territory. On several occasions in the past, Russia has reduced the flow of gas to Ukraine and Europe at critical junctures during the winter months, which many experts believe were meant to show the Kremlin’s sway over energy supplies to Europe.
