Enlarge image
Mitch McConnell, Republican Minority Leader in the US Senate
PHOTO: JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/EPA
The controversial German-Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 has now been completed, but approval from the Federal Network Agency is still missing for commissioning.
The leader of the Republican faction in the US Senate, Mitch McConnell, is now increasing the pressure on the German government to stop the project after all.
"The German government should have put this project on hold long ago," McConnell said ahead of a vote in the US Senate on tougher sanctions against companies involved in the pipeline. »Berlin can still make the right decision.«
McConnell called on US President Joe Biden's Democrats to support the bill proposed by Republican Senator Ted Cruz for tougher sanctions over Nord Stream 2. Citing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, McConnell said the sanctions are not about driving a wedge between European countries. "The pipeline itself is the wedge."
McConnell wants to 'send a clear warning to Putin'
The aim of Russian President Vladimir Putin is to decouple Ukraine from Europe and make Europe even more dependent on Russian gas.
"We can send a strong warning to Putin that he is not allowed to use energy as a weapon."
One of the aims of the project launched by Senator Cruz is to deny US President Joe Biden the possibility of arbitrarily issuing exceptions to the US sanctions for Nord Stream 2 for reasons of national security.
The Senate wants to vote on it on Thursday.
It is considered unlikely that the required majority of 60 of the 100 votes will be met.
Some Democrats against Nord Stream 2 - but also against sanctions
According to the dpa news agency, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen - a declared opponent of Nord Stream 2 - called for the push to tighten Cruz's sanctions not to be supported.
"It would drive a wedge between us and our allies, particularly the United States and Germany, at a time when we can't afford it." Her party colleague Chris Murphy said a tougher sanctions law "would be a gift to Vladimir Putin , because it would be a signal of division at a time when we must stand together«.
Nord Stream 2 is to bring gas from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.
The 1230-kilometer double strand was completed last September.
fek/dpa