A controversial Russian gas pipeline to Germany could soon reach completion in defiance of American sanctions laws, say senior State Department officials.

Republican and Democratic national security officials and experts regard the pipeline as a mechanism for Russian President Vladimir Putin to tighten economic ties with Germany at the expense of NATO allies. Yet, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee the pipeline is “virtually complete” in the face of lawmakers eager to see aggressive implementation of U.S. sanctions.