US vs Europe: Tensions Rise A US-Europe confrontation has emerged after Republican senators’ letter threatens legal and economic sanctions on completion of German pipeline importing Russian gas to Europe. By Ka e Fisher
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n the 5th August, Republican senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Ron Johnson sent a le er to Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH, which operates Mukran Port, aler ng them to their exposure to sanc ons related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. US Senator for Texas Ted Cruz's press office released the following statement: Mukran Port provides services to vessels that Russia has indicated will be used for the project, and reportedly stores pipes to be installed as part of the pipeline. There is a bipartisan, bicameral, and intra-agency consensus in the United States government that has produced a range of sanc ons authori es and mandates that will
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be leveled against any company that par cipates in the project. In the le er, the Senators wrote: "This le er serves as formal legal no ce that these goods, services, support, and provisioning risk exposing Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH and Mukran Port, as well as your board members, corporate officers, shareholders, and employees, to crushing legal and economic sanc ons, which our government will be mandated to impose. These sanc ons include poten ally fatal measures that will cut off Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH from the United States commercially and financially. The only responsible course of ac on is for Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH to exercise contractual op ons that it has available to cease these ac vi es."
"Your provisioning of the Fortuna or Akademik Cherskiy will certainly have become sanc onable the instant that either vessel dips a pipe into the water to construct the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, or engages in any pipe-laying ac vity relevant to the project, but your exposure extends to any ac vies related to goods, services, or support of the pipeline. The law requires that 'the President shall' issue the designa ons." The US has long-since taken issue with the almost-completed Nord Stream 2 Bal c pipeline project. Officials have a empted to perpetuate the notion that such relations will increase European dependence on Russia. Berlin has resolutely resisted these claims, relaying firmly that it will self-determine all na onal policy, in conjunc on with the EU. The issue, however, has been turned into a full-on US-Europe conflict by the senators' le er. The le er makes claims that the project poses a "grave threat" to US security, jus fying "crushing legal and economic sanc ons" for the con nua on of the pipeline. This may cause severe and irreparable detriment to the region's economy as a huge amount of residents make their living from the port. The harsh a ack would see all Sassnitz companies, shareholders and employees face asset freezes and travel bans ordered by the US Government similar to those placed on North Korea and Iran. Naturally, there has been fierce outrage. Sassnitz is infuriated, and accusations against America have since been flying. While the US takes the stance that these ac ons were taken in an honourable and earnest effort to protect Europe, it isn't difficult to believe with some convic on that it has more to do with the expensive gas Cruz would rather sell to Europe from his home
