Smackdown.
Apparently Angela got the word that enough is enough.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman described the Senate bill, which must be approved by the House of Representatives and signed by President Donald Trump before it becomes law, as "a peculiar move".
He said it was "strange" that sanctions intended to punish Russia for alleged interference in the U.S. elections could also trigger penalties against European companies.
"That must not happen," said the spokesman, Steffen Seibert.
In an interview with Reuters, German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said Berlin would have to think about counter-measures if Trump backed the plan.
"If he does, we'll have to consider what we are going to do against it," Zypries said.
The sharp response from Berlin comes at a time of deep strains in the transatlantic relationship due to shifts in U.S. policy and a more confrontational rhetoric towards Europe under Trump.
In fairness to Trump it should be pointed out that he was for relaxing sanctions as part of improving relations with Russia before he was body slammed by the Establishment and Deep State.
The senate vote to increase sanctions was opposed by only Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul. This is not Donald Trump's doing.
Gernot Heller and Alissa de Carbonnel | BERLIN/BRUSSELS
See also
Germany and Austria voiced sharp criticism Thursday of the latest U.S. sanctions against Moscow, saying they could affect European businesses involved in piping in Russian natural gas.
The United States Senate voted Wednesday to slap new sanctions on key sectors of Russia's economy and individuals over its interference in the 2016 U.S. election campaign and its aggression in Syria and Ukraine. The measures were attached to a bill targeting Iran.
In a joint statement, Austria's Chancellor Christian Kern and Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was important for Europe and the United States to form a united front on the issue of Ukraine, where Russian-based separatists have been fighting government forces since 2014.
"However, we can't accept the threat of illegal and extraterritorial sanctions against European companies," the two officials said, citing a section of the bill that calls for the United States to continue to oppose the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would pump Russian gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea.
US News
Germany, Austria Slam US Sanctions Against Russia
