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US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 will not come as surprise for Russia, says Foreign Ministry

On December 11, the US House of Representatives approved the draft military budget for fiscal year 2020, with a provision on the need to impose sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas pipelines

MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Moscow is not surprised by the fact that at the draft US military budget sanctions includes sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline; their reasons are absolutely obvious, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Thursday.

"This is not come as a surprise for us," the diplomat said.

"Their goal [of the sanctions] is absolutely obvious: obtaining unilateral advantages in the gas sector by violating the interests of Europeans," he added.

In this regard, Grushko stressed that all projects that Russia is implementing with European partners are commercially grounded.

"What is most important is that these projects strengthen Europe’s energy security," the deputy minister added.

On December 11, the US House of Representatives approved the draft military budget for fiscal year 2020, which had been agreed by Democrats and Republicans. The document includes a provision on the need to impose sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas pipelines. In order to come into force the document should be approved by the US Senate and signed by President Donald Trump.

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