The sanctions "will postpone the completion" of the undersea pipeline, said Peter Beyer, Chancellor Angela Merkel's transatlantic coordinator. "But I expect the pipeline to be finished in the second half of 2020," he told German public radio Deutschlandfunk. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline was initially slated for completion in early 2020 with a view to being operational in mid-2020. READ ALSO: Germany, EU fume at Russian 'interference' over Russian gas pipelineBoth Moscow and Berlin have reacted furiously to the sanctions imposed by Washington on Friday over the €9.5 billion pipeline under the Baltic Sea. 'More expensive'The United States has long opposed Nord Stream 2, saying the pipeline would give Russia too much influence over security and economic issues in western Europe.

Source: The Local December 23, 2019 14:37 UTC