US doubts EU members' resolve on Russia sanctions – media
EU nations are at risk of deviating from the US-led economic sanctions imposed on Russia for its military campaign in Ukraine, US officials have told the media.
People in Europe are “growing angry over sanctions and blame the US for rising costs,” putting their government under pressure to withdraw their support, Politico reported on Thursday, citing an internal US report.
The document led to a “flurry of calls” among officials in Washington concerned about keeping European leaders on board with the strategy, sources in the US government told the outlet, adding that “things are holding steady for now, but it is a shaky situation.”
EU countries have been struggling with surging inflation, driven to a large degree by rising energy prices. The bloc chose to stop trading with Russia, which was its biggest energy supplier, as part of the sanctions drive, but is now struggling to find a long-term replacement.
The crunch has been aggravated by the interruption of gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia to Germany and further exacerbated by the bombing of the undersea route in late September. Both Nord Stream 1 and 2 – the latter was never operational due to Ukraine tensions – were damaged and now require major repairs.
Protests against the rising cost of living have gripped European nations, with mass demonstrations taking place in Greece, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Germany, to name a few. Rallies in Prague two weeks ago and in Rome last week specifically called to end military aid for Ukraine and open dialogue with Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron last month accused Washington of “double standards” in its energy policy. The US is propping up its own economy with subsidies and disregards the effect it has on prices across the Atlantic, he noted. American liquified natural gas has taken a large share of the European market since the Ukraine crisis broke out.
