Nord Stream 2 Among Sticking Points in U.S. Senate’s Ukraine Debate

  • Senators work on bipartisan response to threat from Russia
  • Trigger for pipeline sanctions is key issue being negotiated
The starting point of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, in Ust-Luga, Russia.Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg
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Pre-emptive sanctions against Russia and the fate of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline have emerged as two sticking points in Senate negotiations over a new package of penalties in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive posture toward Ukraine.

“It’s 95% done, but it’s always the last 5% that are the toughest,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said. “I think there’s still questions about the Nord Stream 2 language and the balance of sanctions applied immediately versus sanctions to be applied after an invasion.”