RussiaFeed — CONFIRMED: UN report says West’s anti-Russian sanctions have failed

The shot that ricocheted back. Europe hurt more than Russia.

This is a fairly long post that looks at the Russian economy in some depth.

Incidentally, if the US launches a trade war with China, as Bannon and the Trumpistas want, the same result is likely. China will turn its export-led industry toward domestic consumption, which it needs to do anyway. As China's growth takes off internally that will greatly accelerate China's perceived threat as China's domestic economy catches up the developed world. As in Russia, it will also strengthen the hand of the military and accelerate military development.

Westerners just don't seem to get dialectics. They are categorical thinkers.

RussiaFeed
CONFIRMED: UN report says West’s anti-Russian sanctions have failed
Alexander

Denis Churilov — Sanctions - Western elites grasp at the last straws of hegemony

Let’s now take a look at the latest sanctions bill from a wider historical and geopolitical perspective.

Backgrounder.

Note that what the US calls "the rules-based liberal world order under freedom and democracy," critics call "US global hegemony" and "world dominance." What the critics call "the American Empire," the US calls "the free world."

Fort Russ
Sanctions - Western elites grasp at the last straws of hegemony
Op-ed by Denis Churilov

CONFIRMED: Russia to build energy turbines domestically

Of the many knock-on benefits of western sanctions against Russia, Russia’s drive towards further industrial and agricultural independence has been chiefly important.…

Rather than get embroiled in Europe’s war with its own contradictory opinions, Russia has decided to produce its own energy turbines both for the large internal market and for export....

This is a further signal of Russia’s ability and willingness to produce domestically what otherwise Russia would have brought from abroad. This move will be good for the growing Russian economy and naturally not good for foreign competitors losing out on a lucrative market.

RussiaFeed
CONFIRMED: Russia to build energy turbines domestically

Adam

Also

Sputnik International
Off the Hook: Weaning Russia Off the Dollar Key to National Security

Nine Years After Georgia-Russia War, 'NATO Hustle in Caucasus Looks Suspicious'

Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten — Germany sees newest anti-Russia sanctions as breach of international law

Translator note: the statement of the German government is followed by a series of comments by German legal scholars. I hope I have made the legalese intelligible...

Fort Russ
Germany sees newest anti-Russia sanctions as breach of international law

Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten

Translated by Tom Winter

Asia Unhedged — Sanctions hangover—America is not going to enjoy Berlin's response to the latest round of Russia sanctions

The sanctions were not well thought through on any level. The political consequence is creating a situation where the Social Democrats, Left (former communists), but also the Christian Democrats feel that this has a good chance of fracturing the Atlantic alliance for good. It has no impact on German elections because both sides are fully pissed off.

Long-term benefits to Russia for this are astronomical.

Fit of pique morphs into colossal strategic blunder.

Asia Times
Sanctions hangover—America is not going to enjoy Berlin's response to the latest round of Russia sanctions

Asia Unhedged

See also

LoberLog
Is the EU Pushing Back Against Trump on Iran?

Eldar Mamedov

Sanctions as Feckless Disapproval

Paul Pillar

Pepe Escobar — Imperial Folly Brings Russia and Germany Together

Add China to that toxic mix for US hegemony and global "leadership."

This is strategic folly beyond estimation.

Trump will be required to justify to Congress, in writing, any initiative to ease sanctions on Russia. And Congress is entitled to launch an automatic review of any such initiative.

Translation; the death knell of any possibility for the White House to reset relations with Russia. Congress in fact is just ratifying the ongoing Russia demonization campaign orchestrated by the neocon and neoliberalcon deep state/War Party establishment.

Economic war has been declared against Russia for at least three years now. The difference is this latest package also declares economic war against Europe, especially Germany.…

Make no mistake; the EU leadership will counterpunch. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission (EC), put it mildly when he said, "America first cannot mean that Europe's interests come last."

Pepe Escobar spells out the hidden agenda. As always, follow the money.

Escobar is always a good read. This one is exceptional. Zbig must rolling over in his grave as his worst nightmares begin to unfold.

Best line among many good ones:

According to the business/political source, "… No one trusts this US Congress; it is considered a lunatic asylum." … 

The source adds, half in zest, "we think that Brzezinski died under the pressure of the realization that this was coming and that all his hatred of Russia and his life work to destroy them was becoming utterly undone."

Sputnik International
Imperial Folly Brings Russia and Germany Together

Pepe Escobar

James George Jatras — Bipartisanship! The Evil Party and Stupid Party Team Up to Cripple Trump, Subvert the Rule of Law, and Put the US on a Road to War

I couldn't resist posting this.

The overwhelming approval by both chambers of the US Congress of a bill imposing new, permanent sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea puts President Donald Trump in an impossible position. He can either sign the bill or allow it to become law without his signature, in which case he has acquiesced in the Legislative Branch’s usurpation of what is supposed to be among the Executive’s primary constitutional responsibilities, the conduct of relations with foreign states.

Or he can veto it, but with a total of only five votes against it in both the Senate and the House together, an override is almost certain. Trump would still find his authority curtailed, on top of crippling his clout during the infancy of his term.

Keep in mind that this is being inflicted on Trump mainly by members of his own party. The Republican Congressional leadership can’t manage to repeal Obamacare, reform taxes, stop voter fraud, keep dangerous people out of our country, build the Mexican Wall, or renew our national infrastructure. But they find plenty of time to hold hands with the Democrats, who are trying to unseat the constitutionally elected president in a «soft coup» over phony «Russiagate», to enact a misguided piece of legislation that is expressly intended to guarantee that Trump can’t, under any foreseeable circumstances, improve ties with the one country in the world with which we absolutely must get along, at least on some minimal level: «It’s the Russia, Stupid!»

This is bipartisanship at its worst. In case we need to be reminded, America does not have a multiplicity of parties like most other countries. Instead, we have just two: an «Evil Party» and a «Stupid Party» – and when something is really evil and stupid, we call that «bipartisan»....

Donald Trump is already a lame duck president. He apparently realizes this and decided to cut any ties with the GOP Establishment that may have existed by firing Reince Priebus unceremoniously.

The rest of the post is disturbing, or at any rate should disturb anyone that still has a soul. It's looking more and more like a lot of souls have been put up for sale and the devil has obliged.

Strategic Culture Foundation
Bipartisanship! The Evil Party and Stupid Party Team Up to Cripple Trump, Subvert the Rule of Law, and Put the US on a Road to War

James George Jatras | Deputy Director of the American Institute in Ukraine, a privately funded American NGO, and former U.S. diplomat and foreign policy adviser to the Senate GOP leadership

Update

Pat Buchanan
"Is Trump Entering A Kill Box?"

Marc Champion — Cold War Deja Vu Deepens as New Russia Sanctions Anger Europe

Digging a hole.

Bloomberg
Cold War Deja Vu Deepens as New Russia Sanctions Anger Europe 
Marc Champion

Reuters — Germany threatens retaliation if U.S. sanctions harm its firms

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.

Reuters
Germany threatens retaliation if U.S. sanctions harm its firms

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

Frank Jordans | AP

Zero Hedge — Germany, Austria Slam US Sanctions Against Russia, Warn Of Collapse In Relations

Less than a day after the Senate overwhelmingly voted to impose new sanctions against the Kremlin, on Thursday Germany and Austria - two of Russia's biggest energy clients in Europe - slammed the latest U.S. sanctions against Moscow, saying they could affect European businesses involved in piping in Russian natural gas.

Shortly after the Senate voted Wednesday to slap new sanctions on key sectors of Russia's economy over "interference in the 2016 U.S. elections" and aggression in Syria and Ukraine, in a joint statement Austria's Chancellor Christian Kern and Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it appeared that the Senate bill was aimed at securing US energy jobs and pushing out Russian gas deliveries to Europe.

Gabriel and Kern also accused the U.S. of having ulterior motives in seeking to enforce the energy blockade, which they said is trying to help American natural gas suppliers at the expense of their Russian rivals. And they warned the threat of fining European companies participating in the Nord Stream 2 project "introduces a completely new, very negative dimension into European-American relations."...

Smackdown.

Zero Hedge
Germany, Austria Slam US Sanctions Against Russia, Warn Of Collapse In Relations
Tyler Durden

RT — Tillerson says allies pleading with US to ‘improve Russia relations’ as Senate agrees new sanct

All of America’s allies and partners have been calling on Washington to improve its relations with Russia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged after the US Senate reached a bipartisan deal to boost sanctions against Moscow.

“I have yet to have a bilateral, one-on-one, a poolside conversation with a single counterpart in any country: in Europe, Middle East, even South-East Asia, that has not said to me: please, address your relationship with Russia, it has to be improved,” Tillerson said on Tuesday during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Foreign Operations.

Tillerson added that the countries urging the US to review its Russian policy “believe worsening this relationship will ultimately worsen theirsituation.”
He added: “People have been imploring me to engage and try to improve the situation, so, that was our approach anyway.”

How to lose allies. 

Even vassals have interests and will be willing to act on them if they perceive it in their overall interest, especially when they are bearing the burden and the US is only the one benefitting.

US hardline policy is classic overreach. Don't be surprised if there is a reaction against US global hegemony and unipolarism in international relations.

RT
Tillerson says allies pleading with US to ‘improve Russia relations’ as Senate agrees new sanctions