Kremlin says threat of new U.S. sanctions on Nord Stream 2 is unfair competition

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday said the threat of new sanctions from the United States against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was a sign of unfair competition and promised that Russia would defend its interests and commercial projects.

The 1,230 km pipeline under the Baltic Sea, which Moscow hopes will boost the amount of gas it can pump to Europe bypassing Ukraine, is nearly finished but a final stretch of about 120 km still needs to be laid.

The Nord Stream 2 consortium plans to resume pipe-laying work on a 2.6 kilometre (1.62 mile) stretch of the stalled Moscow-backed gas pipeline in Germany's Exclusive Economic Zone on Dec 5.

(Reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova and Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Katya Golubkova)