#Russia’s #Nord #Stream 2 #Pipeline: Running in Place.
In 2020, uncertainty has clouded the future of Nord Stream 2, a controversial natural gas pipeline that would increase the amount of Russian natural gas exported directly to Germany and on to other European Union (EU) member states, bypassing Ukraine and other transit states (Figure 1). Pipeline construction was suspended in December 2019, after the passage of U.S. legislation establishing sanctions related to the pipeline. The Trump Administration and Congress have expressed opposition to Nord Stream 2, reflecting concerns about European dependence on Russian energy and the threat Russia poses to Ukraine.
About 100 miles of the approximately 760-mile pipeline remain to be laid and connected. After several months of delay, in May 2020 a Russian pipelaying vessel arrived at Germany’s Mukran port, a logistics hub for Nord Stream 2. Observers have expected the Russian state-owned company Gazprom to use that ship—which until recently was owned by a subsidiary—and a second vessel to try to finish the pipeline. Russian officials have said the pipeline could be completed by the end of 2020 or early 2021.
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Background
Support and Opposition
Impact on Ukraine
U.S. Policy
U.S. Sanctions Related to Nord Stream 2