MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the new US sanctions against Nord Stream 2 a manifestation of hostile takeover competition.

At the same time, the Kremlin is not inclined to associate the introduction of these restrictions with the START negotiations, he noted.

"This [Nord Stream 2 sanctions and the START negotiations] can hardly be considered interrelated subjects," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"In general, this rather unfriendly and destructive policy of constant introduction of various restrictions in relation to us, our economic operators, our economy, unfortunately, this has already become an integral part of unfair competition, undisguised hostile takeover competition on the part of Washington," the spokesman said.

Peskov recalled that "this destructive policy has been conducted for several years now." He reiterated that "of course, this harms bilateral relations."

US sanctions against Nord Stream 2

In 2017, the US Congress adopted the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions act (CAATSA). It envisages the introduction of sanctions against companies involved in the Nord Stream-2 project.

In July 2020, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations supported a special bill on restrictions against contractors involved in laying the pipeline.

On October 20, 2020, US State Department published a statement that Washington’s sanctions against Nord Stream 2 may also cover companies providing services or funding to vessels involved in the project.

The Nord Stream 2 project seeks to construct two gas pipeline strings with a total capacity of 55 bln cubic meters per year from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea. The gas pipeline is 93% complete to date. The pipeline’s construction was suspended at the end of 2019 when the Swiss pipe-laying company Allseas stopped work due to US sanctions.