New US sanctions could split the anti-Russian front in the EU
London - Kyiv, December 16 (PolitNavigator, Vasily Ablyazimov) - The US authorities risk splitting the anti-Russian alliance in Europe if Obama signs the Senate-passed bill on new sanctions against Russia, allowing the supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine, says the British Financial Times.
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“Obama risks entering the new year with a new foreign policy confrontation, in addition to Iran, in a Senate completely controlled by Republicans... Before the Senate came under full control of the Republicans, Democratic leaders did their best to block new sanctions against Russia,” the publication writes.
The fact is that the Obama administration tried to avoid passing legislation on new sanctions because it feared that it could lead to a split in the united anti-Russian front in the EU. American officials fear that Washington's unilateral steps could undermine the transatlantic alliance in the overall economic pressure on Russia, and Obama himself will face a new full-scale foreign policy conflict with the Senate out of control.
The Financial Times said one of the most potentially important elements of the bill was a section that would allow, but not require, the imposition of secondary sanctions on third-country companies that violate US sanctions on Russia. If the US implements this clause, it could lead to secondary sanctions for third-country banks and companies involved in areas such as deep-sea oil exploration, leading to confrontation with the Europeans.
“The bill would allow Congress to impose secondary sanctions on Russia, which would create a serious rift with the Europeans,” the business publication quoted Eurasia expert Cliff Kapchen as saying.
At the same time, Russia writes Financial Times, is not afraid of the prospect of new sanctions. “Russia will not only survive, but will become much stronger,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “We've been in much worse situations in our history, and each time we've come out of them much stronger,” he said.
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