Germany Urges EU Countermeasures Against U.S. Over Russia Sanctions

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Source: Reuters

BERLIN (Reuters) - New sanctions against Russia proposed by U.S. lawmakers and which could harm European firms violate international law and the European Commission should consider counter-measures, the German economy minister was quoted on Monday as saying.

"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 we will not allow this enemy to win the war by changing our way of life or restricting our freedoms. This morning, I asked the European Commission to look into countermeasures. We are prepared to spend whatever it takes to help the citizens of Germany and Europe to protect our national security."

The German government and business leaders have said the new sanctions passed this month by the U.S. House of Representatives could prevent German companies from working on pipeline projects that they say are essential to Germany's energy security.


Read more: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-trump-russia-germany-idUKKBN1AG0SD?il=0

[CentralMass]

1. The Petroleum industry... That's a shocker

[Chakaconcarne]

2. Guess that explains why it will be so easy to pass and sign.....

[flibbitygiblets]

3. Rump still hasn't signed it to my knowledge

I know it passes automatically in 10 days even if he doesn't sign it. And I know he hates being told what to do. And of course he really doesn't want to piss off his new bestie Putie the Cutie.

But he really loves signing things and showing off (even just random ideas sometimes), so whatever could be the holdup? Maybe he just lost his signin' pen?!

[Doug the Dem]

5. A Veto...

.....would just subject him to even more humiliation when the Congress overrides it.

[flibbitygiblets]

6. Exactly, which is why he'll probably do the cowardly thing and not sign it...

but also not veto it. Then as I understand, it still becomes law, but he can still tell Putie he didn't sign it.

IMO not signing it still shows he doesn't want it to happen (i.e., is totally in bed with the Russians), but knows he'll get overridden by Congress if he vetoes.

[Doug the Dem]

4. Scorecard, Please!

I mean, seriously, WTF?

[All-In]

7. Maybe If Europe Wasn't Paying Putin For His Gas and Oil He Would Behave Ya Think?

Corporate profits above all else right Merkel? EU?

[Igel]

8. Corporate profits.

Also a lot of GDP and jobs, meaning tax money, meaning services. Meaning political stability for Merkel.

Problem is, you can't really cut that chain apart and say, "Oh, well, please, screw over the economy. Worker income and government revenue won't be affected in the least." It's all of a piece. That OPEC embargo in the '70s made a mess not just with corporate profits.

Then there's the seeming benefit of not having their energy supply cut over some dispute Russia has with Ukraine, with the plausible deniability that it's not a reminder of the economic disruption that Russia could inflict on Germany.

I understand their pain. Don't have a short-term solution. Long term is to find ways to replace the energy needs in a reliable way, and the petrochemical needs in some other. They're working on it. When you hear "carbon emission reduction" think "energy independence from Russia"--and also think "Venezuelan economic meltdown" and "a lot of instability in Russia and Arabia". Etc.

[MiddleClass]

9. look a minute, Russia occupied Berlin 50 years, America is in Germany to defend them from Russia

And the defenders are the enemy?