Democrats beat GOP sanctions on Russian gas pipeline
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats on Thursday rejected a bill by Texan Republican Ted Cruz that would have imposed sanctions on companies involved in a Russian gas pipeline to Germany, denouncing it as a political move by the GOP that would have hurt the relations with European allies.
The vote on Cruz’s measure sanctioning operators of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was 55 votes to 44, short of the 60 needed to pass. As opposition from the Democratic-controlled House and President Joe Biden meant it had little chance of success, Republicans took the opportunity to paint Democrats as coy in standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin , whose troops are massed along Ukraine’s borders as he demands concessions from the west.
Putin “can smell the weakness,” Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said ahead of the vote. “Stopping this pipeline should be an area of bipartisan agreement.”
“This bill is not going to help Ukraine,” replied Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “It’s designed to hurt” Biden.
A handful of Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the measure.
The new pipeline, which awaits final approval from German and European authorities before commissioning, has come under scrutiny as the United States and its European allies attempt to put in place a package of means strong enough to prevent Putin from invading Ukraine.
Ukraine has angered Putin by seeking closer ties with the West. Putin insists he has no intention of invading, but is demanding concessions from NATO that the allies say they will never grant.
The Biden administration and its supporters in Congress say Cruz’s bill would have hurt relations with Germany, which like much of Europe depends on imported natural gas, at a time when the United States United seek to present a united front against Putin over Ukraine.
Democrats have introduced their own legislation targeting Putin, his top civilian and military officials, and Russian financial institutions if Russia invades. Secretary of State Antony Blinken insists that Germany is almost certain to block the operation of the gas pipeline if Russia moves troops into eastern Ukraine, although the new German government has not publicly given definitive assurance on this subject.
The pipeline would double the volume of gas pumped by Russian gas giant Gazprom directly to Germany. Lawmakers from both US parties overwhelmingly opposed the pipeline, saying it would increase Putin’s influence over Europe.
Putin intends to use the pipeline “as a cudgel against our European allies,” Cruz said.
Democrats pointed out that much of the work on the pipeline was done under the previous administration. “It’s the Trump-Putin pipeline,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey and sponsor of the rival Democratic bill, which has yet to go to a vote. “The Trump administration has failed to act.”