MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th July, 2020) The Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it opposed unilateral US sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Europe after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the project's investors would face "consequences."
"Austria clearly rejects US plans to impose extraterritorial sanctions against #NordStream2. Among trusted partners, we believe in direct talks, not unilateral measures," the ministry tweeted.
Washington has moved forward with extra sanctions on Nord Stream 2 and a branch of the TurkStream pipeline running under the Black Sea to Turkey. Pompeo said on Wednesday that firms involved in their construction must "get out now or risk the consequences."
Nord Stream 2 aims to bring 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Germany across the Baltic Sea, doubling the capacity of a pipeline in operation since 2011. The United States has sought to boost its gas shipments to Europe, citing concerns over allies' energy security.
