Sen. Cruz Applauds Trump Administration for Sanctions to Halt Putin’s Pipeline
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement applauding the Trump administration for imposing sanctions on a Russian-owned ship and related entities involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline:
“I applaud the administration for taking decisive, necessary action to signal that the U.S. will not allow the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to be completed. Putin’s Nord Stream 2 project – if completed – would threaten Europe’s energy security and America’s national security. Building a sanctions framework to halt the pipeline has been a bicameral, bipartisan, whole of government effort. It is succeeding and will keep succeeding.
“I have led the bipartisan fight in the Senate to ensure Russia’s attempt at economic blackmail over our European allies is dead in the water, and I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to counter Russia’s aggression and defend America’s interests.”
WATCH: Putin’s Pipeline Must Never Be Completed
BACKGROUND
Sen. Cruz has long led a bipartisan and bicameral fight to stop Putin’s pipeline:
- In 2019, Sens. Cruz and Shaheen introduced the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act, imposing targeted sanctions on vessels involved in Nord Stream 2.
- In November 2019, as the window to act grew tighter, Sen. Cruz released a video about the dangers of Putin’s pipeline and urged his colleagues to act.
- In December 2019, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Sen. Cruz directly called on the Trump administration to use its statutory authority to stop Russia’s Nord Stream 2.
- In December 2019, once the bill to impose devastating, targeted sanctions was included in the FY 2020 NDAA, Sen. Cruz delivered remarks on the Senate floor urging the Trump administration to immediately begin working on implementing the sanctions upon becoming law.
- In December 2019, shortly before President Trump signed the NDAA into law, Sens. Cruz and Johnson sent a letter to the CEO of Allseas Group S.A. (Allseas), putting the company on formal legal notice, warning they would face crippling sanctions that could devastate the financial viability of the company if they continued installing deep-sea pipes for Russia.
- In June 2020, Sens. Cruz and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced bipartisan legislation clarifying and expanding sanctions they led to passage last year that has now halted the pipeline for the last six months.
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