MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On June 15, the US Senate approved, by an overwhelming majority, an Iran sanctions bill, which included an amendment of new anti-Russia sanctions. The document stipulates restriction of the maximum term of market funding of the Russian banks and energy companies, included in the sanctions list, to 14 and 30 days, respectively. In addition, the United States continue to oppose Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project’s construction, citing the alleged adverse impact it exerts on the energy security of the European Union.
"One can endlessly pretend to be not involved, but when the interests of US energy companies, in log-term interested in selling liquefied natural gas to Europe, are behind this [bill], the trace is obvious," Chizhov told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.
In the follow-up to the bill’s adoption in the Senate, Berlin and Vienna issued a joint statement to condemn the legislation, regarding the new sanctions as illegal and targeting the EU companies, involved in EU energy supplies.
Relations between Russia and the Western states deteriorated amid the Ukrainian crisis, as Brussels and Washington placed the blame for the eastern Ukraine conflict on Russia and continue to refuse to recognize Crimea’s rejoining Russia as a result of the March 2014 referendum. The United States and the European Union showed their disapproval of Russia’s alleged meddling in the Ukrainian affairs by introducing several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions despite the fact that Moscow has repeatedly refuted the allegations.
