WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Baker Hughes and AXA Group and 16 other companies recently wound down work on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline and would not be sanctioned, according to a document the Biden administration sent to Congress last week which was seen by Reuters.
Russian energy company Gazprom and its western partners are racing to build the pipeline to take Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, and hope to finish it this year. President Joe Biden believes the pipeline is a “bad deal” for Europe.
Many U.S. lawmakers and officials say the pipeline would increase Russia’s political and economic leverage over Europe because it would bypass Ukraine and other countries depriving them of lucrative transit fees.
The United States also would like to export liquefied natural gas to Europe as an alternative to Russian gas.
A few of the companies, including DNV GL, Zurich Insurance and Munich Re already said they dropped out after U.S. pressure. Here is the full list of companies according to the document:
AEGIS Managing Agency Ltd
Arch Insurance Ltd
Aspen Managing Agency Ltd
AXA Group
Baker Hughes
Beazley Furlonge Ltd
Bilfinger
Canopius Managing Agents Ltd
Chaucer Syndicates Ltd
Chubb Underwriting Agencies Ltd
DNV GL
Hiscox Syndicates Ltd
Markel Syndicate Management Ltd
MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd
Munich Re Syndicate Ltd
Tokio Marine Kiln Syndicates Ltd
Travelers Syndicate Management Ltd
Zurich Insurance Group
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by David Gregorio)
