The Western sanctions against Russia continue to be the talk of the town even despite de-escalation in the east of Ukraine after the signing of the ceasefire agreement.
In an editorial piece, The New York Times has urged the West to continue pressure of Moscow outlining the rationale for the appeal.
“When Ukrainian forces actually began to get the upper hand over the insurgents, Russia sent in more troops and arms, finally forcing the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, to settle for a cease-fire that was essentially a tactical victory for Mr. Putin,” says the editorial.
The op-ed cites German chancellor Angela Merkel as saying it’s too yet time for rapprochement with the Kremlin.
“Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany knows a bit about dealing with Russia. She has spoken with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, more often than any other Western leader, and, more to the point, she grew up under Moscow’s yoke in East Germany,” the publication goes on to say.
“So when she says that it’s far too early to lift the sanctions imposed on Russia, Western capitals should listen,” it adds.
So when she says that it’s far too early to lift the sanctions imposed on Russia, Western capitals should listen.
But while politicians have been tough, the business community knows it’s at the receiving end. The Hill tells a story of trade groups mounting a quiet campaign to weaken the Senate sanctions bill on Russia.
According to the report, the “bill would impose sanctions on the Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport as well as Gazprom and other energy firms. It would also authorize restrictions on Russian banks from doing business with the U.S. banking system while codifying the administration's current sanctions.”
The bill authored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and Bob Corker also authorizes lethal military aid for Ukraine to defend itself from Russian-backed rebels.
Trade groups representatives have questioned the efficacy of the move saying “the sanctions would be difficult to eliminate if passed into law by Congress.”
“Businesses are in a tight spot balancing the foreign policy considerations with the negative commercial consequences these sanctions may have on their own companies," Elizabeth Rosenberg, a former Obama Treasury official was quoted as saying.
The American Free Press Newspaper has backed Moscow against the efforts by “the United States, European Union (EU) and Zionist plutocrats to isolate Russia and harm its people”. It says economic sanctions are doomed to failure.
One piece of evidence, according to it, is defiance of some EU’s countries that continue to do business with Russia and move forward in the South Stream gas pipeline.
Author: Mikhail Vesely