OREANDA-NEWS  The Vice - Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev described the demand of the US senators to impose new sanctions against Nord Stream 2 as "frank and cynical" blackmail. 

Earlier, a group of twelve US Republican senators led by Pat Toomey delivered an ultimatum to the US Ministry of Finance and the White House, demanding new sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

"Frank and cynical blackmail on the part of the senators. All of them are Republicans, therefore, this is a continuation of the internal political fuss, nothing more", - Kosachev said. 

He expressed confidence that a concession to such blackmail for the Biden administration would have "catastrophic" domestic political consequences, regardless of the fate of Nord Stream 2.

"Therefore, I will assume that this story, no matter how it develops within the United States, will not have external consequences", - Kosachev said.