Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow is determined to complete the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream, two nearly-finished major projects of exporting natural gas to Germany and Turkey, respectively, despite the US sanctions.
The top Russian diplomat made the remarks during an interview on Russian television on Sunday, stressing that Moscow planned to respond to the new measures, the Interfax news agency reported.
Lavrov’s comments came just two days after US President, Donald Trump, signed the $738 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that includes sanctions against both pipelines.
The sanctions bill requires the US State Department to report back within 60 days with the names of companies and individuals involved in pipe-laying for both gas projects.
The US Department of the Treasury said on Friday that “involved parties that have knowingly sold, leased, or provided vessels that are engaged in pipe laying at depths of 100 feet or more below sea level for the construction of Nord Stream 2 or TurkStream must ensure that such vessels immediately cease construction-related activity.”
The 9.5 billion euro ($10.6 billion) Nord Stream 2 pipeline will run under the Baltic Sea and is set to double shipments of Russian natural gas to Germany.
