Amendment to US defense budget requires president to impose sanctions against companies, individuals involved in construction of Nord Stream 2 – media

KYIV. Sept 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Committee on Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives adopted amendments to the draft U.S. Defense Authorization Act for 2022, including a requirement for the U.S. president to impose sanctions on all companies and individuals involved in the planning, construction and operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the Voice of America reported.

"The House Committee approved two amendments concerning Nord Stream 2. The first, proposed by a bipartisan group of congressmen, states that the U.S. president must impose sanctions on all companies and individuals involved in the planning, construction and commissioning of the pipeline," the Voice of America said on Wednesday.

It says that these sanctions include the prohibition of the issuance of visas and entry into the United States to persons related to the project, the blocking of the property of such persons and companies in the United States, as well as other penalties provided for by American law, both administrative and criminal.

"Another amendment, which was approved by the committee, requires the leaders of the Pentagon and the State Department to submit a detailed report that describes the financial benefits Russia will obtain through the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline as well as an analysis of the security risks of a a completed pipeline to Ukraine, European allies and partners, and the NATO alliance," the article says.

At the same time, the amendment presented by the Republican congressman proposes to strengthen cooperation with the titanium industry in Ukraine instead of using resources from China and Russia, on which the United States is now dependent.

"According to lawmakers, this should be a strategic priority in relations between Ukraine and the United States. The amendment states that titanium is necessary for the United States’ defense industrial base," the publication explains.

Also, one of the amendments proposes to prohibit American citizens from buying or selling Russian government bonds in the primary and secondary markets.

"The second amendment, submitted by a bipartisan group of congressmen, requires the White House to submit a determination of the 35 Russian officials and businessmen with respect to the imposition of sanctions. In particular, this list includes Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska, head of Gazprom Alexei Miller and head of Rosneft Igor Sechin, Russian propagandists Vladimir Solovyov, Konstantin Ernst, Margarita Simonyan, as well as a number of other influential Russian officials and individuals," the article says.