U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez said Wednesday that the Biden administration has confirmed it will waive sanctions against the Russian company behind the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
The announcement comes after the decision was initially reported Tuesday. Sources with knowledge of the situation said the administration would issue waivers for both the company and CEO Matthias Warnig, an associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The administration reportedly made the decision to avoid straining Washington’s relationship with Germany, which the natural gas pipeline is set to pass through. Reports said U.S. officials had determined it would not be possible to halt construction of the pipeline without also sanctioning German entities.
