24 EU member states turn to the US government with a protest note. They criticize the US interference in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
The European Union delegation sent a “note of protest” to the United States State Department during the videoconference, but the report does not mention the level of the protest or which three countries refused to join the protest. European diplomatic sources said, “We can confirm that the EU Delegation took diplomatic action against the US sanctions policy at a meeting with the US State Department on August 12, which was held in video format with the participation of 24 member states.”
In terms of content, the protest note reiterates the statement made by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrelli on 17 July about the sanctions imposed by the United States against European companies, including those involved in the Nord Stream-2 and Turkey Creek projects. The EU is deeply concerned by the increasing frequency of such sanctions. EU countries consider the extraterritorial sanctions to be a violation of international law. On 11 August, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed his disagreement with the extraterritorial restrictions imposed by the United States on the Nord Stream-2 project, noting that decisions on European energy policy were made jointly by European countries and in Brussels. EU can decide independently where to buy energy.
However, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said in a media interview that the US plan to impose sanctions on European companies involved in the Nord Stream-2 project is in Estonia’s interests. He noted that there is no consensus within the European countries on the construction of the gas pipeline, but Estonia agrees with the initiative taken by the United States. He added that he understood the logic of the United States. On August 5, several U.S. senators ( Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin ) demanded that
Faehrhafen Sassnitz , the German operator of Port Mukran on the island of Rügen,
(the logistical hub for the completion of the pipeline) stops supporting the construction of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline, otherwise the United States will financially “destroy” the company. They threatened Port Mukran with “crushing” economic and legal sanctions if it continued to allow ships to be equipped for the pipeline project.
“The Nord Stream-2 project plans to build a gas pipeline with an annual capacity of 55 billion cubic meters from the Russian coast across the Baltic Sea to Germany, supplying gas directly to Europe. Most EU countries support the project and are involved in its implementation. The United States, the Baltic States, Ukraine and Poland oppose it. Ukraine and Poland insist that the Baltic Sea pipeline will mean they lose out on billions in transit fees from the pipelines that run through their countries.
