U.S. Sanctions Ship Involved in Finishing Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

The United States put sanctions on a ship involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline's completion, as the Biden administration seeks to increase pressure on Russia while avoiding antagonising German politicians who are committed to seeing the project through, according to Bloomberg.

According to a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the administration identified Transadria Ltd., a Cyprus-based firm thought to be a Russian shell business, over pipeline work done by one of its ships, the Marlin, in a report delivered to Congress on Monday.

According to a US official who asked not to be identified, another vessel, known as Blue Ship, was cited for its work on the nearly completed pipeline but was not sanctioned because it belongs to a German government-affiliated firm. The Danish Maritime Authority has given the Blue Ship permission to throw rocks along the Nord Stream 2 path, and it was spotted in Baltic seas on November 11.

The two ships were mentioned in a report that the administration is supposed to provide to Congress every 90 days under a law passed in 2020 that aims to slow or stop the pipeline's completion.

The action is unlikely to appease Biden administration critics in Congress. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers want the US to take a stronger stance against a project that they believe harms European security by giving Russia more power over the continent. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican, has blocked most of President Joe Biden's State Department appointments because of the problem.