Ukraine's Naftogaz welcomes expansion of US sanctions against Russia's Nord Stream 2

Ukraine's national oil and gas company Naftogaz on October 21 welcomed United States' decision to broen sanctions against Russia's rd Stream 2 gas pipeline project. According to ANI, Naftogaz in a statement on Wednesday said that it supports US State Department's decision to expand sanctions against rd Stream 2 project, that will supply gas from Russia to Germany from underneath Baltic Sea upon completion. 

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US State Department on Tuesday h anunced that it was removing sanctions exemption, paving way for new embargos to be imposed on pipeline project.

Last year, United States President h signed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that required vessels involved in rd Stream 2 immediately to cease construction-related activity. involved parties were threatened with sanctions if y fail to comply with Act.

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Why sanction rd Stream 2?

United States accuses Russia of using rd Stream 2 pipeline project as a tool to support its continued aggression against Ukraine. rd Stream 2 project upon completion would allow Russia to bypass Ukraine for gas transit to Europe through Germany, which would n deprive Kyiv of potential revenues. Washington says that Russia is seeking to prevent Ukraine from integrating more closely with Europe and United States.

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or obstacle that rd Stream 2 h faced recently, before US sanctions, was growing calls within Germany to withdraw from project after poisoning of Russian opposition leer Alexei Navalny. Kremlin critic was poisoned using Soviet-era nerve nt vichok, which is classified as a chemical weapon by Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).  

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