Sen. Cruz Issues Statement Following Biden Admin Announcement Rescinding Sanctions Waivers on Nord Stream 2
HOUSTON, Texas – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), issued the following statement after the Biden administration announced that it is rescinding sanctions waivers it granted to Nord Stream 2 AG - the company responsible for the planning, construction, and operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline - and its principals. The waivers had been granted for sanctions mandated by the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act (PEESA), bipartisan legislation authored by Sens. Cruz and Shaheen.
After the administration granted the waivers, Sen. Cruz committed to using all prerogatives available to him as a U.S. Senator to reverse this decision, including holding certain State Department nominees. After engaging with the administration and following today’s announcement, Sen. Cruz will lift these holds. He made the following statement:
“President Biden made the right decision today. Allowing Putin's Nord Stream 2 to come online would have created multiple, cascading, and acute security crises for the United States and our European allies for generations to come. Today's announcement is critical to preventing such scenarios.
Today’s announcement should be followed by additional steps inside the Biden administration and in Congress to permanently lock in sanctions. Putin believes that Nord Stream 2's activation is a fait accompli now that it has been physically completed, and that any barriers or sanctions are only temporary. His aggression toward Ukraine is based on that assessment, and the only way to change his decision calculus is to convince him Nord Stream 2 will never come online.
Meanwhile, our Ukrainian allies are on the front lines this very moment bravely facing down Russian forces. For months they have been pleading with us to help them by, first, locking in exactly these sanctions on Nord Stream 2 and, second, providing them with the lethal aid they need to defend themselves. President Biden has now taken positive steps in both areas, but much more still needs to be done to deter and counter the threat that Putin poses to our allies in Ukraine and across Europe.”
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