File photo

MOSCOW, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. sanctions will not stop the construction of the Nord Stream-2 natural gas pipeline between Russia and Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

"We believe that this project will be completed," Peskov told reporters in a daily briefing, adding that the U.S. sanctions violate international law and are an example of unfair competition.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Congress approved the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which includes sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream-2 and TurkStream gas pipelines.

The United States is spreading its artificial dominance in the European markets and is imposing on European consumers its liquefied natural gas, which is more expensive than Russian pipeline gas, Peskov said.

Neither Russia nor some European countries, particularly Germany and France, like the sanctions, according to him.

Nord Stream-2 includes two 1,230-km pipelines laid under the Baltic Sea with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year. It is scheduled to start operations in the middle of 2020.

TurkStream consisting of two 930-km pipelines laid under the Black Sea is expected to enter service at the end of this year. It will send Russian gas to Turkey and then to Bulgaria, Serbia and Italy.