"They are funding a war against themselves." U.S. Treasury Secretary Bentsen pointed his finger at Europe today (January 26).
"The sacrifices made by the United States are far greater than those of Europe. We imposed a 25% tariff on Russian oil imports to India. What happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade agreement with India."
"Russian oil is being transported to India, refined there, and then purchased by Europe. In the end, they are funding a war against themselves," said U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bentsen.
Comments: It was originally a self-serving move for the U.S. to impose tariffs on India, but it was framed as a "great sacrifice," ignoring the real difficulties Europe faces in terms of energy structure and economic and social livelihoods - purchasing Russian oil products refined in India is a compromise within the sanctions framework, while advancing a free trade agreement with India is a reasonable strategy for economic diversification. Bentsen deliberately avoids the fact that the EU has upgraded its ban on Russian energy and blocked transshipment channels, instead seizing on Europe's practical choices to make a big deal out of it. The core purpose is to force Europe to fully comply with the U.S. timing on sanctions against Russia, even demanding Europe to give up its own interests and follow the U.S. in imposing tariffs on China and India, becoming an appendage in America's geopolitical game. This statement further reveals the deep rift between the U.S. and Europe on sanctions against Russia: the U.S., far away across the ocean, can freely increase sanctions, while Europe has to face the direct costs of energy security and economic inflation. The interest differences between the U.S. and Europe have already caused the Western sanction alliance to be superficially united but internally divided.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855374255622279/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.