Berlin calls for retaliation against 'illegal' US sanctions on Russia

The Reichstag building © Tobias Schwarz / Reuters
Trade war? EU ready for economic counter-sanctions if US anti-Russia bill signed – top officials
"We consider this as being against international law, plain and simple,"Brigitte Zypries told the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain.

"Of course we don't want a trade war. But it is important the European Commission now looks into countermeasures,” she added.

According to the minister, “the Americans can not punish German companies because they operate economically in another country."

Last week, both chambers of the US Congress decided to impose new sanctions against Russia over its Crimea reunification and alleged meddling in US elections. The bill has still to be signed by US President Donald Trump. This is the first time Washington has made a move against Moscow without European consent.

The bill appears to target Russia’s Nord Stream-2 pipeline that will deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany. The proposed expansion would double the existing pipeline's capacity and make Germany EU's main energy hub.

The legislation seeks to introduce individual sanctions for contributing in Russian energy projects and targets major sectors of Russia’s economy, including defense, railway, and banking industries.

READ MORE: New US Russia sanctions ‘absolutely unacceptable,’ come at expense of EU jobs – Austrian chancellor

The new sanctions have been criticized by several officials in Europe, including the Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

Critics of the US government argue the sanctions could affect European energy security and serve Washington’s economic interests - in line with the "America First" policy of President Trump.

Source :
https://www.rt.com/business/398065-germany-us-eu-russia-sanctions/

 

The purpose of the bill is strictly domestic politics; getting Trump to either sign or veto a sanctions bill against Russia. That's why other sanctions were linked to it. It really has nothing even to do with Russia, it's all crazy domestic stuff.

 

So basically every country is doing what they think will be the best for them economically..... shocker!

This will make Germany far more powerful than any other Western European Nation, not that they already aren't .....

But I am not surprised that they are taking a Trumpesque "Germany First" stance, why would they not?

I do feel bad for Ukraine though as they basically just got jacked on some land and nobody cares (even though we have a treaty with them) Money talks though!

 

The People make the land not the square miles. I sometimes say that to my Serbian relatives. What would we do if tomorrow Kosovo was given back to us. What use of the land do we have when our people do not live there. Same principle can be said about Crimea.

Germany should do what is best for them, not for USA. I hope they get back to business as usual with Russia.

 

Totally agree, I just find it frustrating that everyone is doing so while at the same time harping on Trump supporters so badly for saying "America First"

There seems to be a large discrepancy between what people think the world is "able" to do vs what the US is "able" to do

 

If people on this land do not want to be part of ukrainian state - government in Kiev will have to deal with it. People have right to determine themselves.

 

As we have discussed in the past, I agree with this however do not think that first vote was done in a professional and internationally recognizable manner.

 

Right, so then Chechnya can secede from Russia, oh wait, they tried it, seems muscovites sent in tanks?

 

It wasn't....but that doesn't matter to the Muscovites...it was a land grab, pure and simple.

 

Wasn't it Trump that was supposed to start the trade war?

This is why domestic politics should not be allowed to meddle in geopolitical affairs. These Congressmen have hardly more understanding of Eurasian geopolitics than we do. They expect one of the most internationalized economies in the world, Germany, to start a trade war with a vital source of raw materials, Russia, because Congress wants to tie Trump's hands?

I could've told them this was stupid, and I'm an idiot on a forum.

The Germans don't care about Ukraine. Hell, they'd probably like for Poland to be Finlandized by Russia at this point. If you put the newspapers down and just look at this numbers you'll notice something glaringly obvious: Trump might admire Putin, but when you get down to the things that really matter it's Merkel who has the most to gain out of cooperating with the Russians. The Americans are more competitor than ally, and the Russians are a valuable counterweight given that fact.

For decades the Germans have liked to pretend that economics and geopolitical ambition can be decoupled. They cannot. History is not over, we're in it. Europe is not some magical land where war has been banished, it's a collapsed empire with utopian delusions.

The "liberal order" was never more than an anti-Soviet alliance lead by the Americans. What we're witnessing in the world today is not the "collapse of democracy" journalists love to fret about, but the forces of history reorganizing mankind into a new power structure, as the trappings of that anti-Soviet alliance fall away.

 

The latest sanctions is pure revenge for Russia's interference into US elections. The Eu would be doing the right thing to not get involved, besides Russia interfered in the French elections, although not to the same extent and is currently trying to influence German elections, however Merkel seems to be handling the Russians with hand hand behind her back like the awesomeness she is. The truth is... enough Americans were conned into voting for either Trump or an independent (effectively a vote for Trump anyway)...and so they should carry the burden of Trump, not the EU.

 

They started "seceding" by throwing a soviet governor of republic out of the window to splatter his brain over asphalt, and continued by further murdering people. If people of Chechen republic will democratically vote today for exiting the Federation - they will get that.

On top of that - example of post-soviet wars in Chechnya demonstratively shows where leads violence, when it's applied to politics. Avoiding it by all costs if a duty of responsible government.

 

I take it you don't approve of The Donald then, Witchypoo? Can't think why!

 

And I say it was a "land grab" with legit democratic basis. And that instead of starting a war over it those, who aren't satisfied with it, should've organised a second referendum. And that events in Lugansk and Donetsk too should've not been escalated into a war. That somebody should've not acted out of paranoia in which every pro-russian sentiment turns into a giant vile plot of KGB - sometimes people just want change. People can be unsatisfied with the state. And so they were, and so they voted to leave it - and so we have a war going on for third year because of people who decided treat situation as "pure and simple".

 

Liberal logic:

All of Europe is doing Putin's bidding.

 

Not everybody with a "liberal" label is a liberal. Bolsheviks too were supposed to be a liberal party, but moment they got rid of competition they ended up with dictatorship-like one party state.

Respect way people identify themselves, but still judge them by their actual actions. Helps to avoid many unpleasant surprises.


Induividual that expresses hatred towards a chunk of humanity and excuses acts of violence by it - is not a liberal. That is just same chauvinist with different set of groups that he/she considers being supreme to others.

 

If they will vote to "exit", the federation! ), Even if they tried Putin would send his tanks.

 

In your not-so-humble opinion.

 

The same can be said of Crimea since it's the people living there who want to be with Russia, while Ukraine wants to hold on to Donbas and Crimea and force them to give up their cultural heritage, or to leave. As for Kosovo, it's only the start. Greater Albania is now one of George Soros' projects. Albania not only wants to annex Kosovo, but also take a part of Greece, Fyrom, and Serbia.

The problem for Washington here is China and Russia. Russia wants to build Turkstream gas pipeline which will increase the living standard in the Balkans, and China wants to build a canal that will join the Danube with the port of Thessaloniki. This of course is freaking out the US, and why they're backing the idea of a Greater Albania to thwart China's ambitions, and hurt Russia. So they feel the best thing is to start wars in the Balkans between Muslim Albania and the Orthodox nations.

 

Its not an opinion, I think you and I both know that putinka wouldn't allow it.

 

If they are, then at least Putin's bidding is productive and in their own best interest. The same cannot be said about Washington, whose bidding they have been doing for years to the benefit of the American corporations, and to the detriment of the people in Europe.

 

There was no interference by Russia, it's all a ploy to take attention away from the real criminality of the previous administration and Hillary Clinton. Here is the real problem and the real hacking. Debbie Wasserman Schulz of the Democratic Party had Imran Awan a Pakistani on her payroll until he was arrested for bank fraud. He had access to the E-mails of all our congressmen and was selling them to foreign governments.

Of course none of the main stream media except for FOX news is covering it. Instead they keep harping about a non existent hacking by Russia to hurt Putin for not bowing to America's liberal and financial interests, as well as to cover up the crimes in their own party. Which in addition to the murder of Seth Rich and others, may also include espionage and treason.. Here is Judge Neopolitano of Fox news.

 

Oh, and Germany can break away from USA,... oh wait, they are occupied!

 

It was an urgent emergency measure of Russia before the US would grab it as an even further encroachment into Russia's sovereignty and integrity.

 

We are not occupied. We are a economic superpower and hegemon of europe.

That said, we do whats best for our country. If this sanctions are bad for us we will equalize the effect with penalties against american business Its that easy. The entire EU is on the same line as Germany.