The new US sanctions against Russia can also miraculously affect large European companies, in particular German ones, which for their own business interests are involved in the construction of the Nord Stream-2 natural gas pipeline, from Russia to the western part of the continent.
The US is going to punish the Germans, supposedly because we have Crimea, but in reality, the underlying motive is financial. The US is doing everything it can to replace gas in the European market from the Russian pipeline with its own liquefied gas in cylinders. They already did it once, by the way, in Japan. If you recall, after the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, of US construction, Japan, being afraid, stopped all of its nuclear reactors. There were 54 of them. This all happened in 2011. For the third largest economy in the world, it was a tough challenge.
Nevertheless, energy had to come from somewhere, and suddenly here are the Americans with their liquefied natural gas. But it's very expensive. So the Japanese thought about a new energy strategy for the country. Together with the Russian Academy of Sciences, they developed a project for an underwater gas pipeline from Sakhalin along the Japanese islands, using the Nord Stream experience. Washington was categorically opposed, and threatened sanctions. And the Japanese are still clanking with the liquefied gas cylinders from the US.
Otherwise, they could be getting it now through a pipeline, and much cheaper. But the US didn't want to lose the market. The US now wants to accomplish a similar thing in Germany. And what? After all, these two countries, Japan and Germany are the world leaders in the number of US military bases on their territories. They seem to be occupied countries since WWII, whose sovereignty is limited by the will and military power of the US. And why does Germany need Russian gas from a pipeline, when it's better for it to be American, even if it's from cylinders and more expensive.
And Trump will force Germany to pay more for NATO, and on top of that will force it to buy US natural gas. Master of the game! At the same time, the US expects Angela Merkel's traditional obedience. She, of course, already timidly declares that it's time for Europe to stand on its own feet, but there's still not enough strength.
It's another matter if the EU had normal relations with Russia, then the balance of power would be different. And so, they got involved with empty sanctions, and then tripped on them themselves, not only from Russia, but now also from the US. There's nothing more to say — well played.
