Nord Stream project: Republican sanctions failed to gain Senate support
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is supposed to bring gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine. Construction was completed weeks ago, but it has not been certified and is not yet in operation. The project is controversial.
The Republicans in the U.S. Senate have failed to gain support for a bill calling for stricter sanctions in connection with the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.
The Republicans were unable to muster the majority of 60 votes needed in the Senate.
However, some senators from the ranks of U.S. President Joe Biden's Democrats also voted with their Republican colleagues on Thursday.
One of the aims of the bill launched by Senator Ted Cruz, was to deprive Biden of the opportunity to authorize exemptions from U.S. sanctions over Nord Stream 2 for reasons of national security.
A total of 55 senators voted in favour of the bill, 44 against it, and one senator did not vote.
Cruz's bill called for sanctions on foreign business officials assisting in the finalisation of the controversial pipeline.
Before the vote, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democrat Bob Menendez, presented an alternative draft bill that would provide for massive sanctions against Russia in the event of a further escalation in the Ukraine crisis.
It states that the United States should consider all available and reasonable measures to prevent the commissioning of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
It is unclear when the Senate will vote on the Menendez draft.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is supposed to bring gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.
Construction was completed weeks ago, but it has not been certified and is not yet in operation.
The project is controversial.
The U.S. government criticizes it as making Europe too dependent on Russia for its energy supply.
The financially weak Ukraine is urgently dependent on income from fees for gas transit and now fears heavy losses.