The US House of Representatives passed the New Defense Budget Act (NDAA), which includes: tougher sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. “We hope this will interfere with the operation of the pipeline,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.
“This law is critical to preventing the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and increasing Russian aggression in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Democrat Kaptur, co-author of the NS2 amendment. “We hope that the sanctions included in the NDAA will be adopted and come into force,” she added.
The Polish-born politician co-sponsored the law alongside leading Republican Michael McCaul. The amendment aims to prevent US President Joe Biden from doing what he did in May when he waived State Department sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG and its German President, and at the same time a close friend of the Russian President. Vladimir Putin. , Matthias Warnig. The then sanctions were also related to the defense budget, but they had a gateway that allowed the president to abandon the application of restrictions due to important national interests. In the case of the May decision, Biden decided that the interest was to avoid a dispute with Germany.
However, it is not entirely clear what impact the current amendment could have – if it comes into force. The bill still needs to be passed by the US Senate before it can be signed by the president. According to a PAP source in the Senate, the bill on the budget, together with the amendment, should find support in the Senate. – We still have a cross-party opposition to Nord Stream. But the question is whether any act of Congress will be able to stop this project, the source added.
“Ensuring transatlantic security in the face of growing hostile influence from Russia is one of the most important cross-party priorities,” Kaptur said.
The US defense budget for next year, according to the version adopted by the House of Representatives, is $ 768 billion. The project obliges the Pentagon, among other things, to check the current US forces in Europe in terms of resistance to Russian aggression. He also plans to spend $ 300 million on military aid to Ukraine. In addition, the law provides for an increase in spending on cybersecurity, initiatives related to the development of artificial intelligence, as well as the creation of a special department in the Pentagon to combat extremism in the ranks of the military.