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Will Europe Stop Taking Orders from Washington? |
| By
Stephen Lendman |
| America has interests, not allies. Post-WW II, it’s pressured, threatened
and forced other countries to bow to its will. Instead of working cooperatively with other nations, it demands subservience, unchallenged global dominance its aim. It tolerates no sovereign independent states, targeting them for regime change by assassinating foreign leaders, color revolutions or war, the latter its favorite strategy given how many it wages in multiple theaters. European nations, Japan and others are virtual US colonies, pressured to serve its interests at the expense of their own, their countries infested with Pentagon military bases, their economies taken advantage of to let corporate America thrive. In response to House members overwhelmingly imposing new sanctions on Russia’s energy and other sectors, Senate passage and Trump going along virtually certain, Brussels said it’ll “act within days” with countermeasures if EU “concerns (aren’t) taken into account.” Post-WW II, EU countries bowed to Washington’s will, its member states failing to break ranks and go their own way. Rhetoric is meaningless without followup action. China and India ignored US sanctions on Iran, buying its oil, Washington unable to do anything to stop it. It’s time for a European declaration of independence from Washington, its member states serving their own interests, not America’s when following its diktats harms them. New US sanctions on Russia have nothing to do with phony accusations of US election meddling and nonexistent aggression against Ukraine. They have everything to do with wanting greater access to European markets for US natural gas producers. They continue longstanding efforts to contain, marginalize, weaken and isolate Russia - its main geopolitical rival along with China for their sovereign independence, not for any threat to US security they pose. A strongly-worded joint statement by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, saying “(w)e can’t accept the threat of illegal and extraterritorial sanctions against European companies” is a hopeful sign. “Europe’s energy supply is a matter for Europe, and not for the United States of America,” they added. Key is what, if anything, will they do about tough US sanctions on Russia certain to be enacted. Talk is meaningless without follow-up action. Europe should declare its sovereign independence, declare US sanctions invalid, lift its own on Russia, and take meaningful steps for mutual political and economic cooperation - Washington unable to prevent it. On Wednesday, Russia’s EU representative Vladimir Chizhov urged these steps, including European banks halting their financing of US companies. “I can put it baldly. The future vector of our cooperation with the EU will depend on how the European Union will behave in this situation," Chizhov stressed. The subtitle of US sanctions legislation is “Countering Russian influence in Europe and Eurasia,” revealing the measure’s primary aim. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia will impose retaliatory measures in response to US sanctions, explaining this message was delivered to Washington many times - always falling on deaf ears. In a sharply worded statement, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the following: “(N)ews (about new US sanctions) is very sad from the perspective of Russian-American relations and the perspectives of their development.” “This is no less disheartening from the point of view of international law and international trade relations.” “The attitude to (new US sanctions) will be formed on the basis of a thorough analysis, and the decision (on how to respond) will certainly be taken by…President Putin.” He “makes foreign policy decisions, and we will inform you if and when they are adopted…We are talking about extremely unfriendly manifestations, so the reaction is obvious.” On Wednesday, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker said “I am glad to announce that we have reached an agreement that will allow us to send sanctions legislation to the president's desk” - likely this week. Enactment with Trump’s signature increases US hostility toward Russia, Iran and North Korea. It strains relations with Brussels and Berlin. Will they respond appropriately or meekly bow to Washington’s will? Much rides on what they’ll do. VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |