The US applauds the German gas pipeline blockade and will announce more sanctions on Moscow on Tuesday

The United States on Tuesday applauded Germany’s decision to block the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and assured that it will announce new sanctions against Moscow today after Russia’s recognition of pro-Russian separatist territories in eastern Ukraine.

This was indicated by the White House spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, in a message on Twitter shortly after the German decision was known.

“We have been in close talks with Germany this morning and welcome your announcement. We will continue with our own measures today”, Psaki stated about the announcement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to paralyze the gas pipeline that was planning to transport Russian gas to Germany.

The gas pipeline controlled by the Russian energy giant Gazprom, already completed and built with the participation of German companies, is intended to directly transport gas from Russia to the west of the European Union (EU) with entry through German territory and thus avoid transit through from Ukraine.

This Tuesday, the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, highlighted his “unwavering support” to Ukraine hours before receiving in Washington the Minister of Foreign Affairs of that country, Dmitro Kuleba, in full escalation of tensions with Moscow.

In a telephone conversation this morning, Blinken remarked to Kuleba the “quick response” of the United States to the decision of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, of “recognize the presumed independence” of the so-called breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, in the Ukrainian region of Donbas, in the east of the country.

Biden signed an executive order on Monday that prohibits new investment, trade and other economic transactions by US institutions and citizens in Donetsk and Lugansk, an action that seeks to isolate those two regions from the international financial system based on the dollar.

The executive order also prohibits the importation into the United States of goods, services or technology from those areas of eastern Ukraine, according to the text made public by the White House.

Despite Putin’s decision, who also ordered the deployment of Russian soldiers in Donetsk and Lugansk to “ensure peace”, The United States did not get to announce this Monday the great package of economic sanctions against Russia that it has been preparing with its allies for weeks.