Upon completion, the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline would have the capacity to annually send 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas to Germany by way of the Baltic Sea.
As part of its ongoing standoff with Moscow, the United States has long floated the possibility of sanctioning Nord Stream 2 . But in recent months, U.S. opposition to the pipeline between Russia and Germany has become much more acute. For the first time, U.S. President Donald Trump directly acknowledged that Washington was, in fact, considering sanctioning Nord Stream 2 on June 12. This comes less than a month after U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry warned that a U.S. sanctions bill targeting the project could come into effect in the "not too distant future." Trump and Perry's statements could mean the White House is seriously considering a proposed sanctions bill that, if fully imposed, would have the power to essentially grind construction a screeching halt.
