Rada to appeal to US Congress to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2

The Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution on the Appeal to the US Congress to intensify efforts to strengthen the energy security of Ukraine and Europe through the general introduction of sanctions on the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.

According to Ukrinform, 292 people's deputies supported this decision.

"The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine calls on the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Congress of the United States of America of the 117th convocation to use all available tools required by US law to completely and irreversibly stop the construction of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline by applying sanctions against all participants of the Russian geopolitical project, including Nord Stream AG," the appeal said.

Ukrainian parliamentarians emphasize that they highly appreciate the unequivocal position of the United States against the completion of the Nord Stream-2 construction. They are also concerned that the report of the US Congress submitted by the US State Department on 19 May 2021 and the proposed additional sanctions don't provide for measures against Nord Stream AG's key Nordic-2 member company.

They justified the need for a resolution because the Russian Federation's efforts to implement the Nord Stream-2 project were one of the tools in a hybrid war aimed at undermining Ukraine's independence and geopolitical positions.

The purpose of the pipeline is to bypass the territory of Ukraine, create a mechanism of pressure on the state and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, undermine transatlantic unity, divide Europe and increase the dependence of other EU countries on Russian gas supplies.

More than 100 people's deputies from various factions and deputy groups signed the draft resolution.