Kremlin hopes U.S. sanctions on Nord Stream 2 will not impede construction

A Kremlin spokesman said on Monday that the sanctions introduced by the United States against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project would not hinder its construction.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill on Friday that included legislation imposing sanctions on companies laying pipes for Nord Stream 2, which seeks to double gas export capacity along the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline route to Germany.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was too early to talk about reciprocal measures against the United States, but added that the sanctions won't go unanswered.

He declined to say when Russia expects the Nord Stream 2 project to be finished and did not provide a timeline for its launch, which had been expected to in the first half of 2020.