German companies received warning letters on US sanctions imposed during construction of North Stream-2

Letters are perceived as blackmail / photo nord-stream2 / Axel Schmidt

US Ambassador in Germany, Richard Grenel warned German companies that Washington could sanction them by supporting the construction of the pipeline North Stream 2.

The text of the letter sent to companies is published. Bild

"We emphasize that if companies that support the Russian energy sector participate in any [відповідних проектах] this could result in the imposition of sanctions," wrote Grenell.

"If, by launching North Stream-2 and Turkish flows, the European gas reserves in Ukraine will be in surplus, Kiev will lose its importance in the field of security policy, which will increase the risk of". intervention of Russia. "

Read also The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland said that "North Stream 2" kills the Ukraine

Grenell explained that the companies supporting both projects compromised the security of Ukraine and Europe

According to newspapers, letters in agreement with the US authorities had been sent to many German companies, who perceived them in turn as blackmail [19659005] "Letters should not be perceived as a threat, but as a clear statement of the political position of the United States," commented the spokesman of Grenelle about the publication.

"The current north 2" will go to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Its length will be more than 1200 kilometers, its flow – 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The pipeline is built by the Russian company Gazprom, with the European companies Engie, Uniper, OMV, Shell and Wintershall. The pipeline should be able to run until the end of 2019. Ukraine is opposed to the construction of the North Stream-2 because it does not want to lose gas transit status. The project is actively criticizing the United States, Poland and the Baltic States. They warn that the EU will depend on Russian gas. In Germany, it is thought that the project is economic rather than political.