The US State Department this month told European companies which it suspects are helping to build Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that they face a risk of sanctions, a spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday, January 13, as the outgoing Trump administration prepares a final round of punitive measures against the project.
The US source said the State Department is expected to issue a report by Thursday or Friday, January 14 or 15, on companies it believes are helping the Russia-to-Germany pipeline. Companies that could be in the report include ones providing insurance, helping to lay the undersea pipeline, or verify the project's construction equipment.
Germany, Europe's biggest economy, also says the pipeline is simply commercial. It needs gas as it shuts coal and nuclear plants on environmental and safety concerns. Half of the funding of Nord Stream 2 is provided by Germany's Uniper, BASF's Wintershall, Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell, Austria's OMV, and Engie.