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Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) released the following statement regarding the temporary pause of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline certification as Nord Stream 2 AG, the company in charge of the pipeline, creates a subsidiary to operate the part of the pipeline in German territory. Reps. McCaul and Kaptur previously led a bipartisan amendment to the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that imposes mandatory sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG. The House passed the FY2022 NDAA with the new Nord Stream 2 sanctions in September, and a companion amendment is now awaiting action in the Senate.

“Kremlin-controlled Nord Stream 2 AG’s attempts to superficially restructure in order to subvert EU regulations should fool no one. This Russian malign influence pipeline project must be stopped once and for all – not simply delayed. The ongoing threat to Kyiv and our Central and Eastern European allies must not be tolerated, particularly as Russian troops and military equipment amass on Ukraine’s border.

“The Nord Stream 2 sanctions included in the House NDAA would prevent the operationalization of the pipeline, and loosen the Kremlin’s grip on European energy markets as Europe faces a Kremlin-manufactured gas crisis. The security of our transatlantic allies is on the line, and the Senate has a responsibility to act.”

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