Reports this week in the German press suggested the administration of new US President Joe Biden would be open to direct negotiations with Germany over the pipeline.

France's Engie is one of five European energy companies that have lent financial support to Nord Stream 2, which remains incomplete with some 150 km left to lay in Danish and German waters.

At a briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden "continues to believe that Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal for Europe."

Natural gas supplies to European consumers over the Nord Stream gas pipeline increased to record-breaking 59.2 bln cubic meters, Nord Stream AG, the pipeline operator, said.

The resumption of work in the Danish offshore Exclusive Economic Zone using the Fortuna comes despite US sanctions imposed Jan. 19 against both the vessel and its Russian owner, KVT-RUS.

However, Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, reiterated as recently as Jan. 18 that EU companies involved in the construction of the pipeline were conducting "legitimate business."

"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.