The US Senate panel has supported a bill to impose sanctions on companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 project, media reports say.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has passed the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act by 20 votes to 2, Reuters has reported.
According to Bloomberg, it is now up to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to set the date for a full Senate vote.
Earlier this month, Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul sent a letter to his colleagues in Senate arguing that if the bill goes into force the US will be sanctioning its European allies rather than Russia.
The Nord Stream 2 project is due to be completed by the end of 2019. Its aim is to double the size of the existing pipeline and deliver about 55 billion cubic metres of gas directly to Germany.
