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Merkel hits back at US sanctions threat over Russian gas

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel hit back today at US threats to impose sanctions on individuals linked to the planned Russia-Germany Nord Stream II gas pipeline.

“We are against extraterritorial sanctions and not just since this decision — we also have this problem with a view to Iran,” Ms Merkel said, referring to the Senate’s approval on Tuesday of a Bill that slaps sanctions on people involved with laying sections of the pipeline. Germany and other EU countries have also opposed the US’s unilateral sanctions against Iran.

The US opposes Nord Stream II because it says it increases European dependence on Russian energy, but Russia said the sanctions violate international law and will not be allowed to derail the project.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Such actions … are a perfect example of unfair competition, an attempt to artificially secure dominance in European markets by imposing more expensive and uncompetitive products — more expensive natural gas — on European consumers.”

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