"Today, the US is imposing sanctions on the Russia-based entity KVT-RUS and identifying the vessel Fortuna as blocked property," Pompeo said in a statement.

The US Senate on Jan. 1 voted to override President Donald Trump's veto of the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which includes new provisions related to Nord Stream 2 under the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Clarification Act (PEESCA).

Владимир Путин отметил, что «Северный поток-2» является более выгодным проектом для европейских стран, чем долгосрочная покупка сжиженного газа из США.

"Nord Stream 2 confirms the resumption of pipelay works planned for Dec. 11," a project spokesman told

“Пик потребления углеводородов, может, уже даже и прошел. Пандемия структурно повлияла на мировую экономику: уже меньше путешествий, пользования транспортом, командировок, но больше видео конференций, заказов через онлайн торговлю. Это уже могло повлиять на структурный уровень потребления углеводородов в мире”.

US opposition to the project -- on the grounds that it gives Russia too much leverage over European energy security -- continues to intensify.

Construction work on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea will resume this week, despite U.S. sanctions designed to end the pipeline that will bring Russian gas to Germany.

The DNV GL spokesman said: "Under these new guidelines, we find DNV GL's verification activities linked to vessels with equipment serving the Nord Stream 2 project to be sanctionable."

Wintershall Dea is one of five European energy companies -- along with France's Engie, Austria 's OMV, Anglo-Dutch Shell and Germany's Uniper -- that have co-financed the project, each committing to invest Eur950 million.

Gazprom and Germany say Nord Stream 2 is purely a commercial project. Gas demand in Germany is growing as it cuts dependence on nuclear and coal power.

UOKiK on Oct. 7 imposed a fine of more than Zloty 29 billion ($7.62 billion, Eur6.48 billion) on Russian gas giant Gazprom for building Nord Stream 2 without its approval, as well as a fine totaling Zloty 234 million on five European companies that helped finance the project.

The almost complete Nord Stream 2 was meant to come online at the end of 2019, but the threat of US sanctions against companies working on laying the pipeline saw main contractor Allseas halt work in December last year.

A little over 150 km of Nord Stream 2 remains to be laid in Danish and German waters, but with the political debate becoming ever more frenzied, it remains unclear how and when the pipeline will be completed.

A little over 150 km of Nord Stream 2 remains to be laid in Danish and German waters after an initial threat of US sanctions last December forced principal pipe-layer Allseas to halt work.

The Danish Energy Agency granted the permit on Thursday almost a year after the application was submitted.