January 1, White House Reinstates Sanctions on Nord Stream 2

President Joe Biden has reinstated the sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline in response to “the beginning of a Russian invasion” of Ukraine.

“Yesterday, after further close consultations between our two governments, Germany announced that it would halt certification of the pipeline. Today, I have directed my administration to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG and its corporate officers,” Biden said in a statement.

“These steps are another piece of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. As I have made clear, we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate.”

The move marks an escalation in the U.S. response to Russia, delivering a fresh blow to the $11 million pipeline that has proven to be a massive headache for Biden since he waived sanctions in May 2021.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) led a blockade against dozens of Biden’s State Department nominees for six months in protest of the decision to waive sanctions.

Following Biden’s Wednesday announcement, Cruz said he would lift his holds.

“President Biden made the right decision today,” Cruz said.

“Allowing Putin’s Nord Stream 2 to come online would have created multiple, cascading, and acute security crises for the United States and our European allies for generations to come.”

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Source:

U.S. reimposes sanctions on Nord Stream 2 over Russia’s aggression