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‘Washington’s favorite language’: Kremlin excoriates new sanctions against Nord Stream 2

Moscow considers such measures wrong, especially in the context of strenuous attempts to build up the previously lost dialogue, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov notes

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. The Kremlin has fired back at possible new sanctions from Washington against Nord Stream 2 branding them illegal and wrong, especially in light of the attempts at re-establishing the previously lost dialogue between both countries, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"The sanctions against Nord Stream are a continuation of that language of sanctions, which Washington still does not want to give it up. [That is] Washington’s favorite language," he emphasized.

Of course, Moscow objects to this, the Kremlin spokesman continued. "We talked about it many times. We consider it illegal, wrong, especially in the context of strenuous attempts to build up the previously lost dialogue," he said, commenting on information about possible new sanctions.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Department of State had submitted a report to Congress pursuant to the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act of 2019 (PEESA) for a possible introduction of sanctions against Nord Stream 2.

The report lists two vessels and one Russia-linked entity, Transadria Ltd., involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Transadria Ltd. will be sanctioned under PEESA, and its vessel, the Marlin, will be identified as blocked property, he said.

Blinken did not specify the name of the second vessel mentioned in the report, which has not been published. According to Bloomberg, this is the Blue Ship. Bloomberg said, citing a US official, that the other vessel, "known as Blue Ship, was cited for its work on the almost-complete pipeline but not sanctioned because it belongs to an entity affiliated with the German government." According to Bloomberg, Transadria Ltd. is a Cyprus-based entity "believed to be a Russian shell company."