Germany is furious after 3 GOP senators threatened a small port with 'crushing' sanctions for helping Russian ships build a gas line across EuropeThe US's relationship with Germany is under increased strain after politicians in Berlin reacted angrily to a letter from three Republican senators threatening "crushing" sanctions against a small port for helping Russian ships build a gas pipeline.
Sens. Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and Ron Johnson last week wrote to Faehrhafen Sassnitz, the operators of the Mukran port in the German seaside town of Sassnitz, threatening "crushing legal and economic sanctions" if it did not stop assisting Russian vessels that were building Nord Stream 2.
President Donald Trump's administration opposes the pipeline over concerns that Germany is already too reliant on Moscow for natural gas and that it would allow Russia to expand its economic influence in Europe. In 2018, Trump said it could turn Germany into a "hostage of Russia," according to the BBC.
On this particular disagreement with Berlin, he is backed by several Democrats as well as European countries like Poland and Slovakia.
Once completed, Nord Stream 2 is set to be 1,230 kilometers long, or 764 miles, carrying natural gas from Russia to northern Germany. It is designed to double the capacity of Nord Stream, an existing pipeline built nearly a decade ago, according to The Washington Post.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Nord Stream 2 could open late this year..........
https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-senators-threaten-germany-mukran-port-russia-gas-line-2020-8
