In a statement issued on Friday, Alexey Miller, the Chairman of the Board of the company, said that “at 8.45am this morning Moscow time, work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been completed.”
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed that the laying of pipes under the Baltic Sea would be “completed in a few days and will begin working.” Bloomberg reports that gas is expected to begin flowing through its network from the start of next month, and that final testing and preparations are underway.
According to Lavrov, efforts by the US government to halt construction through sanctions and political pressure have now failed. However, he added, “there is still a full-frontal attack, in spite of everything, on Nord Stream 2,” despite the fact “everyone knows the Americans have realized [it will be completed.]”
Last month, American President Joe Biden unveiled a new package of sanctions aimed at firms involved in the construction, saying that its completion would increase Russia’s influence in European energy markets, while weakening “Ukraine and Eastern flank NATO and EU countries.” The project, the White House said, therefore threatens “the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”
