"The US Congress will, in any case, move on with the new set of sanctions before the end of 2020 aimed at disrupting the completion of the project," Shostak said about the pipeline that is planned to deliver Russian gas to Europe.
Shostak said unlike incumbent US President Donald Trump, the presumed President-elect Joe Biden will have to pay more attention to the German opposition to the US sanctions against the pipeline.
"Under the circumstances, in my opinion, Germany is the one deciding whether Nord Stream 2 lives or dies," Shostak said.
Shostak pointed out that the German stance is hesitant and undecided while the pro-Russian position is weakened as a result of the Alexei Navalny case.
"Whoever wins Germany this time, be it the United States or Russia, will determine the future of the pipeline," he said.
Russia has criticized the United States for imposing yet another set of sanctions against Nord Stream 2, saying the sanctions exemplify Washington's desire for unfair competition.
The US sanctions resulted in Swiss constructor Allseas, which participated in laying the pipeline in the Baltic Sea, to suspend its work in late December.
In January, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Nord Stream 2 pipeline should be completed as expected.
The results of the 2020 US presidential election have not been certified yet, but all major US media have projected Biden to be the winner. While Biden claimed victory on Saturday, President Donald Trump also said he won, adding that the election had been stolen from him via massive election fraud. Trump has disputed the results and taken the matter to court.
