Efforts have resumed to complete the last underwater section of the controversial Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline.

The international consortium behind the Russia-led project began laying pipes on February 5 in Danish waters.

The pipeline is intended to carry 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Russia to Germany, but work was halted in December 2020 following the threat of sanctions from the United States.

Washington opposes the effort to bypass Ukraine in delivering gas to Europe, denying Kyiv a lucrative source of revenue. The United States has also said the pipeline will increase dependence on Russia for energy supplies, with President Joe Biden calling Nord Stream 2 a “bad deal for Europe.”

About 150 kilometers of pipe transiting Danish and German waters must be laid to complete pipeline controlled by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.

On February 5, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Berlin would continue to support the completion of the pipeline despite Russia’s recent crackdown on anti-government protesters and Moscow’s expulsion of European diplomats from Russia.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa