REUTERS
The U.S. leader admitted that the pipe is "a problem".
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is yet to decide whether to introduce sanctions targeting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
"We haven't really determined that yet," Trump said, answering a reporter's question on whether the U.S. will be imposing economic restrictions on Nord Stream 2, the pipeline which is aimed to deliver gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine.
"I do think it's a problem. But that's the problem that Germany's going to have to work out for themselves, maybe for Germany it won't be a problem. I hope it's not, actually. But we'll be talking about that," the U.S. president added, speaking at a joint press conference with Angela Merkel before the two leaders met in London on the sidelines of the NATO meeting December 4.
Read alsoAnxiety in Kremlin as Nord Stream 2 pipe may be left unfinished
As UNIAN reported earlier, sanctions on companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline have been added to the draft 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
House and Senate lawmakers have yet to reach a final deal on the massive bill.
UNIAN memo. The Nord Stream 2 project envisages the construction and operation of two gas pipeline branches with a total throughput capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the coast of Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany. It should connect Russia's Ust-Lug and Germany's Greifswald. This new pipeline bypassing Ukraine is to be built next to the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
The construction of the pipeline should be completed before the end of 2019. The pipeline will be 1,220 km long. The project is being implemented by Russia's Gazprom in alliance with European companies – ENGIE, Uniper, OMV, Shell, and Wintershall.
Ukraine stands against the construction of Nord Stream 2 as it will most likely lose its status of a gas transit country, while its potential revenue losses are estimated at $3 billion annually. The project is also highly criticized by the U.S., Poland, and the Baltic States.