Sijbren de Jong from Hague Centre for Strategic Studies says that possible sanctions against controversial project Nord Stream 2 are not sure. However, if U.S. President agrees to sanctions, the project could face a serious risk.
– The main point to stress is that the sanctions, specifically the provisions that pertain to actors/entities that invest or support the construction of Russian energy export pipelines, is a discretionary provision for the US President. It means that even if the package passes the house and eventually is enshrined into law, it remains to be seen whether this particular provision is actually activated – says De Jong to BiznesAlert.com.
– The mere possibility thereof however already sends out a threatening signal to those who support Russian state-owned enterprises such as Gazprom in their endeavor to construct the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. So for commercial entities involved, it significantly raises the risk associated with the project – underlines expert.