Shaheen, Cruz Introduce Legislation Expanding Sanctions to Block Completion of Nord Stream 2

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined by Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Ron Johnson (R-WI), today introduced legislation clarifying and expanding the sanctions of their bipartisan bill, the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act, to block the Nord Stream 2 pipeline’s completion.

“While there were skeptics, the original sanctions legislation I authored with Senator Cruz was tremendously effective at thwarting the completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. We must now continue that effort and ensure that Russia does not surreptitiously extend its malign influence throughout Europe,” said Senator Shaheen. “Nord Stream 2 threatens Ukraine, Europe’s energy independence and gives Russia an opening to exploit our allies. Congress must once again take decisive action and stand in this pipeline’s path.”

“There is bipartisan and bicameral consensus that Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline poses a critical threat to America’s national security and must not be completed,” said Senator Cruz. “Last year, both parties and both chambers of Congress came together to pass Sen. Shaheen and my bipartisan bill, the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act, in the NDAA, which was then supported, signed, and implemented across the administration. Nevertheless Putin continues to try to circumvent those sanctions, and so this new bill will once and for all clarify that those involved in any way with installing pipeline for the project will face crippling and immediate American sanctions.”

The new legislation clarifies that U.S. sanctions related to Nord Stream 2 include all pipelaying activities, structured transactions, and insurance. It expands sanctions to include providing pipe-laying vessel with port facilities and tethering services, and for certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline itself for operation.

In May 2019, Shaheen and Cruz introduced the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act, legislation imposing devastating, targeted sanctions on vessels that Putin needs to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Their bill advanced out of the Foreign Relations Committee with overwhelming support and was signed into law in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020.