Brussels has raised concerns over
Washington’s intention to step up sanctions on Russia, urging
coordination with the G7 partners.
The European Commission fears sanctions
may hit European companies that are upgrading pipeline distribution
systems in Russia, as well as railway, shipping, mining, and financial
companies. Brussels is ready to retaliate in kind “within days” if
European companies are targeted, according to a Commission meeting note
cited by the Financial Times.
The concerns were raised on Sunday, as
there is emerging bipartisan support in the Congress and the Senate for
renewed US sanctions against Iran, North Korea, and Russia. An earlier
version of the bill concerned only Iran and North Korea.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the White House said President
Trump would be willing to sign such a bill. However, President Trump’s new communications director
Antony Scaramucci
told CNN that the decision has not yet been signed off. “We support
where the legislation is now,” said Ms Huckabee Sanders to ABC news.
Perhaps more significantly, the lifting
of the sanctions regimes will no longer be the prerogative of the
President. The bill envisages that the Congress and the Senate must
approve, or not, the lifting of sanctions against Russia, Iran or North
Korea within 30 days. Given the high polarization of the House, this
could become a difficult process.
It is unclear whether EU member states
such as the UK, the Baltic States, Poland, or Hungary are willing to
sign off retaliatory measures towards Washington.
But Russia is already playing for EU support. On Monday, the Speaker of the Federation Council
Valentina Matviyenko told TASS that new sanctions would be designed to squeeze Russia out of the European energy market.
The Kremlin warned that new sanctions would hurt investment involving European partners, with
Dimitri Peskov
making specific reference to Nord Stream II, a high stakes project for
Germany that has at different times raised eyebrows in the Baltic
States, Poland, and Sweden.
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/brussels-retaliate-washington-new-russia-sanctions-imposed/