EU Slams US' Russia Sanctions Only to Damage Trump

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Wednesday, Trump signed a bill passed by the Congress on new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea. The new US restrictive measures against Moscow, targeting the Russian financial and energy sectors, have prompted criticism from European authorities, which said the sanctions were not in line with EU energy security interests. On Monday, German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Brigitte Zypries said that the new sanctions would violate the international law.

"There is an impression that the EU changed its position [on the anti-Russia sanctions] just in order to harm Trump, thus helping the US elites that seek his impeachment … I am sure that if Hillary Clinton had won [the US presidential election], she would have done the same and nobody would have criticized her. The European Union is an US colony and nobody in Europe will go against US interests. The European Union is against Trump, not the United States," Gianluca Savoini said.

He believes that the European Union would not take any retaliatory measures as a response to the US policy.

The president of the Lombardia-Russia Cultural Association also fears that if Brussels supported the new anti-Russia sanctions, the European Union would have to purchase US oil and gas, which is three times more expensive than Russian ones.

"That will be a serious blow to the whole European Union, particularly, to Italy. In the recent years Italy has lost 5.6 billion euro [$6.6 billion] because of [EU] sanctions [against Russia]. The consequences of the new sanctions will be disastrous for the Italian and European economy," he added.

The United States introduced the new sanctions against Russia over its alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Russia refuted all the allegations and sharply criticized the US move. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday characterized the legislation as a declaration of a "full-fledged economic war."

 

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