Germany's position is that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial project. However, Merkel expanded on her description of the pipeline, which she said she discussed openly with Macron.

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 contracts, worth a total of $1.2 billion, were signed on Monday in the presence of Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh,

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).

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

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

India was an attractive market for the US for innovation, alternative energy, and investment avenues.

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."