Sen. Cruz Applauds Trump Administration Action To Counter Putin's Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

Statement

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement today in response to the announcement by Secretary of State Pompeo that the United States considers Russian energy export pipelines in Europe, including the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, subject to sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA):

"I applaud the Trump administration's announcement that Nord Stream 2 and other Russian pipelines are subject to the sanctions passed by Congress in CAATSA. Today's action again confirms that there is a unified bipartisan, bicameral, inter-branch consensus across the whole of the United States government to ensure Putin's pipeline never comes online.

"Nevertheless, the Kremlin will no doubt continue its frantic efforts to circumvent American sanctions, and so it is imperative that Congress provide the administration the broadest possible authorities to counter these ever-changing attempts at evasion. We will do so expeditiously. In the coming weeks, Congress will take up new bipartisan language clarifying and expanding the mandatory sanctions that Sen. Shaheen and I authored last year and that President Trump signed into law in December, including for insurance and certification companies entangled in Nord Stream 2.

"Today's announcement by the Trump administration, coupled with these existing and forthcoming Congressional sanctions, should serve as a reminder that any person or company that facilitates in any way pipe-laying for Nord Stream 2 will face the full force of U.S. sanctions."

Source