US vs Europe: Tensions Rise

A US-Europe confrontation has emerged after Republican senators’ letter threatens legal and economic sanctions on completion of German pipeline importing Russian gas to Europe.

By Kaࢼ e Fisher

On the 5th August, Republican senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Ron Johnson sent a le‚ er to Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH, which operates Mukran Port, alerঞ ng them to their exposure to sancঞ ons related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. US Senator for Texas Ted Cruz's press offi ce released the following statement: Mukran Port provides services to vessels that Russia has indicated will be used for the project, and reportedly stores pipes to be installed as part of the pipeline. There is a bipartisan, bicameral, and intra-agency consensus in the United States government that has produced a range of sancঞ ons authoriঞ es and mandates that will be leveled against any company that parঞ cipates in the project. In the le‚ er, the Senators wrote: "This le‚ er serves as formal legal noঞ ce that these goods, services, support, and provisioning risk exposing Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH and Mukran Port, as well as your board members, corporate offi cers, shareholders, and employees, to crushing legal and economic sancঞ ons, which our government will be mandated to impose. These sancঞ ons include potenঞ ally fatal measures that will cut off Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH from the United States commercially and fi nancially. The only responsible course of acঞ on is for Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH to exercise contractual opঞ ons that it has available to cease these acঞ viঞ es." "Your provisioning of the Fortuna or Akademik Cherskiy will certainly have become sancঞ onable the instant that either vessel dips a pipe into the water to construct the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, or engages in any pipe-laying acঞ vity relevant to the project, but your exposure extends to any acঞ viঞ es related to goods, services, or support of the pipeline. The law requires that 'the President shall' issue the designaঞ ons." The US has long-since taken issue with the almost-completed Nord Stream 2 Balঞ c pipeline project. Offi - cials have a‚ empted to perpetuate the notion that such relations will increase European dependence on Russia. Berlin has resolutely resisted these claims, relaying firmly that it will self-determine all naঞ onal policy, in conjuncঞ on with the EU. The issue, however, has been turned into a full-on US-Europe confl ict by the senators' le‚ er. The le‚ er makes claims that the project poses a "grave threat" to US security, jusঞ fying "crushing legal and economic sancঞ ons" for the conঞ nuaঞ on of the pipeline. This may cause severe and irreparable detriment to the region's economy as a huge amount of residents make their living from the port. The harsh a‚ ack would see all Sassnitz companies, shareholders and employees face asset freezes and travel bans ordered by the US Government similar to those placed on North Korea and Iran. Naturally, there has been fi erce outrage. Sassnitz is infuriated, and accusations against America have since been fl ying. While the US takes the stance that these acঞ ons were taken in an honourable and earnest eff ort to protect Europe, it isn't diffi cult to believe with some convicঞ on that it has more to do with the expensive gas Cruz would rather sell to Europe from his home

state of Texas. Protecting Europe becomes a less likely motive when you consider that Trump recently withdrew a little more than half of the US troops staঞ oned in Germany - a crucial part of Nato defences against Russia. The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, described his "deep concern at the growing use of sancঞ ons, or threat of sancঞ ons, by the US against European companies and interests". The US is accused of treaঞ ng Germany like an enemy, or a colony, as opposed to an ally. Such behaviour reveals a fundamental disrespect for European rights and sovereignty. Chancellor Angela Merkel's relaঞ onship with President Trump seems to have gone from icy to hostile. The German chancellor has received disrespect and insult from Trump for several years. Trump made repeated rude remarks about Merkel during his 2016 presidenঞ al campaign, accusing her of "ruining Germany" and being a "catastrophic leader" and even began an anঞ -Clinton hashtag campaign "#AmericasMerkel". More recently, in June, he was reported by

CNN to have told Merkel that she was "stupid" after accusing her of being in the pocket of the Russians. Merkel reportedly took the a‚ acks gracefully. When quesঞ oned at her recent summer news conference about Ric Grenell's statement that "As US Ambassador to Germany... I've watched President Trump charm the Chancellor of Germany", the chancellor's bemused response "He did what?" sparked laughter. It is clear to say that the German leader had not, in fact, been at all charmed by the President. Merkel has not faced Trump's imprudence alone. In June, CNN reported that Trump called former British Prime Minister Theresa May "a fool" and spineless in her approach to Brexit, NATO and immigraঞ on policy. The CNN report also describes how Trump "bullied and disparaged" other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Jusঞ n Trudeau. The contention between Germany and the US and America's increasing use of inঞ midaঞ on tacঞ cs may begin to reignite broader resentments. Europe has become disgruntled with Trump's tariff wars, climate crisis denial, and eff orts to divide the EU by seeking favour with conservaঞ ve eastern states. Once again, last week's events saw the US make disrespectful and accusatory remarks against their closest allies. US secondary sancঞ ons negaঞ vely aff ected European companies in trade with Tehran, so when the US came to the UN looking to reimpose sancঞ ons on Iran, it was vehemently rejected. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo's almost laughable reacঞ on heard him classify Europe as "siding with the ayatollahs". US ambassador to the UN, Kelly Cra[ chose to describe US allies as "standing in the company of terrorists". If Trump is re-elected in November, can Europe expect to face more sancঞ ons? Will US foreign policy conঞ nue to morph into bullying bruঞ shness? Even if Trump does not triumph in the elecঞ on, the possibility of such unrestricted treatment in future should be enough to urge Europe to strengthen its protections against the economic and financial blackmail seen in Sassnitz.