US is taking stronger action against Russia than our European allies are
Actions speak louder than words, or at least we used to think so. Apparently, there’s an exemption for unpopular US presidents. That must be why the UK spent days outraged at Donald Trump’s kowtowing to Russian president Vladimir Putin last month, but has taken little notice of the US’S decision this week to impose sanctions on Russia in response to its use of chemical weapons on the Skripals (and several British citizens).
The new sanctions are the first attempt by any government to impose specific and explicit economic consequences for Russia’s actions. The first round could affect up to half of all US exports to Russia. The second round, triggered in three months if the Kremlin fails to fulfil various conditions, could prevent Russia’s state airline, Aeroflot, from landing planes in the US. The value of the rouble dived in response.
Contrast this with the actions of our supposed
Words are cheap and Russian gas, Ms Merkel decided, is even cheaper
allies in Europe. In April, a few days after Germany agreed to expel Russian diplomats in response to the attack, Berlin gave the go-ahead for the building of Nordstream II, a gas pipeline that will massively increase Russia’s exports of gas to Germany. Angela Merkel paid lip service to solidarity with Britain, but words are cheap and Russian gas, she decided, is even cheaper.
It’s possible that Mr Trump is not a huge fan of the new sanctions – they are the result of existing US laws regarding chemical weapons usage. But we are none the less in a bizarre situation in which the US government has taken stronger action than Britain to punish Russia for using chemical weapons on our soil.
Words and leaders matter a bit, of course, but they’re ultimately trumped by geography and history. The US can afford to provoke Russia because it’s far away and generates its own energy. In most of Europe, spinelessness is a safer course. We will only find out where Europe’s powers really stand if and when the US withdraws its nuclear shield.