REUTERS

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told lawmakers that the United States intends to impose sanctions on firms that continue to help Russia build a natural-gas pipeline to Europe as he sought to dispel concerns about Washington's commitment to halt the controversial project.

"We will do everything we can to make sure that that pipeline doesn't threaten Europe," Pompeo told a senate hearing on July 30, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.

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"We want Europe to have real, secure, stable, safe energy resources that cannot be turned off in the event Russia wants to," he added.

Pompeo told the panel that the United States has already been in touch with some companies working on Nord Stream 2 about the risks they face if they don't halt their activities.

The State Department and Treasury Department "have made very clear in our conversations with those who have equipment there the expressed threat that is posed to them for continuing to work on completion of the pipeline," he said.

The United States opposes the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would run under the Baltic Sea and double Russia's direct natural gas exports to Germany while bypassing Ukraine.

Washington claims the pipeline would increase Europe's dependence on Russian gas while also hurting Ukraine, which stands to lose billions of dollars in gas-transit fees.

Work on the nearly US$11 billion project, which is more than 90 percent complete, was halted in December after the United States passed a law that imposed sanctions on vessels laying the pipeline, forcing Swiss-based AllSeas to pull out.

Russian vessels are now seeking to finish the project, but they require help from international companies such as insurers and ports, which Pompeo has now threatened to sanction.