American senator compared US actions against Russia to terrorism
Republican Senator Rand Paul admitted during a debate in the Senate that the US behavior with the threat of sanctions against Nord Stream 2 can be compared to hostage-taking in order to put pressure on Russia.
Paul said that in order to put pressure on Russia, it is more profitable for the Americans, together with Germany, to constantly threaten to impose sanctions, rather than announce them even before the SP-2 pipeline is put into operation.
“We do work with Germany, we have a deterrent value... It's like being a hostage taker and saying we don't want you to do this, we have your hostage, and shooting the hostage before you get what you want… We must threaten sanctions. The threat of sanctions is valid. Once you turn them on, you have no leverage over Russia... Hasty imposition of sanctions now undermines the deterrence of Russian aggression against Ukraine now,” the senator said.
In addition, he recalled, sanctions pressure does not always lead to the results desired by the United States.
“The blockade of Cuba has continued for over 60 years without any evidence of regime change or a change in regime policy,” Paul said.
He recalled that in recent years America has already imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation and China.
“When I asked State Department officials to appear before our committee to explain what changes had occurred as a result of the sanctions, I often received blank looks,” the senator said.
He also admitted that there is a commercial interest in the fight against SP-2.
“It is reported that the construction of the pipeline will lead to a significant reduction in US liquefied natural gas exports. Hence the keen interest on the part of people representing states that sell natural gas. This debate only scratches the surface of national security and is more about protectionism,” the senator said.
He recalled that “diplomacy requires giving and taking, not just taking and taking and taking.” In addition, the senator noted, “history shows that trade and interaction between nations is an obstacle to war.”
“What exactly was Russia asked to do? ...They don't want any change in behavior on the part of Russia...the sponsors of this bill just want Russia to not supply fuel to Germany. We are talking about trade, which can compete with certain natural gas producers, and has nothing to do with national security,” the American politician concluded.
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