US Republicans disagree with Nord Stream 2 sanctions waiver

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House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul and 20 committee Republicans sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern over the Biden Administration’s decision to apply a US national interest waiver to forego the imposition of mandatory sanctions on Nord Stream 2.

“The rationale provided to Congress for issuing a waiver is highly problematic. For starters, the assertion that these sanctions would “negatively impact U.S. relations with Germany, the EU, and other European allies and partners” completely discounts the opinion of the frontline Central and Eastern European countries, in particular Ukraine. As these allies and partners have the greatest security and economic concerns regarding Nord Stream 2, we are troubled that the extent of the Administration’s consultations with many of them was a demarche just prior to the announcement as well as that the Administration appears to be prioritizing Berlin’s interests over the interests of the rest of Europe.”

“If, as you asserted during your confirmation hearing, you are serious about doing everything possible to stop the completion of Nord Stream 2, then we urge you to do just that. We request that you immediately remove these ill-conceived U.S. national interest waivers and use the mandatory authorities Congress passed to target the insurance and certification companies participating in the project.”

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