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MOSCOW, 29 Jul – RIA Novosti. Ex-NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen from the pages of the Financial Times tried to explain the alleged “true intentions” of U.S. legislators adopted new sanctions against Russia.
Rasmussen bewildered notes that the new restrictions have caused an outcry from allies of Washington in Europe, although, in his opinion, the sanctions should be “welcome”. According to former NATO Secretary General, the US is only committed through sanctions to stop the “Russian aggression” in Ukraine. As for the “Nord stream – 2”, the US is “doing it right” that opposed the construction of the pipeline and promote exports of its LNG, he said.
Critics of new sanctions Rasmussen calls “supporters “Gazprom” and accused of “spreading misinformation about the intentions of the Senate of the United States.” “Instead of trying to undermine the sanctions, the Europeans should strengthen them, to begin extending their for 12 months, not six,” he called former Secretary General of the Alliance.
In conclusion, he stated that the overall objective of the Europe and the USA – “security in Eastern Europe” — should not be under “cross-fire of various commercial interests.”
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate approved the law on sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea. The new law consolidates existing regulations and introduces new, mainly in the energy sector. The EU is afraid that the sanctions will affect European investment in energy projects with Russia. In particular, Germany has regarded these measures as a threat to the project “Northern stream-2” and trying to win back the European market for American liquefied natural gas. In Berlin the American sanctions called violation of international law and did not rule out the possibility of retaliatory measures against the United States.
In order for the document entered into force, it must still be signed by President Donald trump, but he has already expressed the desire to introduce sanctions against Russia.
The President of Russia Vladimir Putin noted that with the bill the US is trying to use the geopolitical advantages in the competitive struggle to provide for their economic interests at the expense of its allies. According to him, Washington has a “special cynicism”.