{"id":5101,"date":"2020-08-20T04:02:46","date_gmt":"2020-08-20T04:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/euromenaenergy.com\/?p=5101"},"modified":"2020-08-20T04:02:46","modified_gmt":"2020-08-20T04:02:46","slug":"eu-members-protest-u-s-sanctions-after-nord-stream-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emimer.com\/?p=5101","title":{"rendered":"EU Members Protest U.S. Sanctions After Nord Stream Threats"},"content":{"rendered":"

Twenty-four European Union countries complained to the U.S. State Department this week over President Donald Trump\u2019s expansive use of sanctions to help influence American foreign policy goals, according to a European diplomat familiar with the communication.<\/p>\n

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The message, supported by all but three of the bloc\u2019s member states, was given on Wednesday, said the diplomat, who asked not to be identified because the correspondence hasn\u2019t been made public.<\/p>\n

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Read More: U.S. Threat of \u2018Crushing\u2019 Gas Pipeline Measures Riles Berlin<\/a><\/p>\n

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The so-called demarche was based on a\u00a0July 17 statement<\/a>\u00a0by the EU\u2019s top foreign policy official, Josep Borrell, in which he condemned U.S. intimidation tactics. He specifically cited Trump\u2019s sanctions aimed at halting construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which would link Russia and Germany.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOur actions are aimed at curbing Russia\u2019s malign activity,\u201d according to an emailed statement from a State Department spokesperson. \u201cWe continue to work with our European partners to make it clear that Nord Stream 2 enables Russia to use its energy supplies as a political weapon in Europe and undermine Ukrainian security.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Relations between the U.S. and the EU — and Germany in particular — have plumbed new lows, with Trump hitting his transatlantic allies with sweeping tariffs and pulling out of multilateral agreements such as the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. Trump also announced plans to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany last month, saying Chancellor Angela Merkel\u2019s government had been \u201cdelinquent\u201d on defense spending.<\/p>\n

\u2018Illegal\u2019 Sanctions<\/h3>\n

\u201cThere was an informal outreach which the EU member states could join on a voluntary basis,\u201d EU Spokeswoman Nabila Massrali told reporters on Friday when asked about the complaint. She added that the U.S. threatening sanctions against European companies was \u201cpart of a wider, worrying trend.\u201d<\/p>\n