Because the US is a closer ally and the EU was forced to pick a side. The EU did not move spontaneously and alone, it moved as part of coordinated action. Furthermore, Russia launched a direct attack into European territory, making it a much more direct military threat.
What you are proposing here is different. You are asking the EU to spontaneously and unilaterally decide to go after its most powerful ally because of the human rights violations that they are committing somewhere else.
What I’m saying here is that EU is very selective about whose rights it cares about. Objectively speaking, US has been engaged in massacring millions of people around the globe since WW2. A few recent atrocities include Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. These alone have killed and displaced countless millions.
Given that EU has never put any sanctions on US or taken any other meaningful action, the only logical conclusion here is that the only reason EU put sanctions on Russia is cynical self interest.
Furthermore, there was no reason for EU and Russia to be in a confrontation or for Russia to present a military threat to EU. The whole reason for this situation is the fact that NATO has been steadily expanding east towards Russia. EU is entirely complicit in creating the situation it finds itself in today.
It’s more accurate to describe the relationship between US and EU as one between an empire and a vassal than one between allies. The war in Ukraine and the economic fallout have directly harmed EU while bolstering US. If EU had sovereignty then EU leaders would have been prioritizing the interests of people living in EU as opposed to the interests of the empire.
Yes, I agree with your assessment. I think that from the point of view of geo-politics, countries tend to make self-serving choices. Human rights are usually not a priority. There are human rights abuses all over the world, but if addressing them does not serve a political purpose, they tend not to appear in the spotlight. As soon as an excuse is needed one can of course summon these abuses and blast them through the media.
I am not saying that I agree with this approach or that this is the way I think thinks should be. But I think that this is the answer to why the EU does not impose sanctions to the US. Similarly, the US lets the Saudis get away with a lot of human rights abuses to avoid souring relations. And the Israel <-> Palestine conflict, why is the world so chill about that?
Also, the sanctions did impact the EU economy and the leaders have had to pay a price. They have gone as far as they have in large part because the US has pressured them - the EU possibly would not have several of the more drastic measures if it was up to them, to protect their economy.
European leaders don’t seem to have any qualms about tanking the economy by putting sanctions on Russia though, so why the double standard?
Because the US is a closer ally and the EU was forced to pick a side. The EU did not move spontaneously and alone, it moved as part of coordinated action. Furthermore, Russia launched a direct attack into European territory, making it a much more direct military threat.
What you are proposing here is different. You are asking the EU to spontaneously and unilaterally decide to go after its most powerful ally because of the human rights violations that they are committing somewhere else.
What I’m saying here is that EU is very selective about whose rights it cares about. Objectively speaking, US has been engaged in massacring millions of people around the globe since WW2. A few recent atrocities include Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. These alone have killed and displaced countless millions.
Given that EU has never put any sanctions on US or taken any other meaningful action, the only logical conclusion here is that the only reason EU put sanctions on Russia is cynical self interest.
Furthermore, there was no reason for EU and Russia to be in a confrontation or for Russia to present a military threat to EU. The whole reason for this situation is the fact that NATO has been steadily expanding east towards Russia. EU is entirely complicit in creating the situation it finds itself in today.
It’s more accurate to describe the relationship between US and EU as one between an empire and a vassal than one between allies. The war in Ukraine and the economic fallout have directly harmed EU while bolstering US. If EU had sovereignty then EU leaders would have been prioritizing the interests of people living in EU as opposed to the interests of the empire.
Yes, I agree with your assessment. I think that from the point of view of geo-politics, countries tend to make self-serving choices. Human rights are usually not a priority. There are human rights abuses all over the world, but if addressing them does not serve a political purpose, they tend not to appear in the spotlight. As soon as an excuse is needed one can of course summon these abuses and blast them through the media.
I am not saying that I agree with this approach or that this is the way I think thinks should be. But I think that this is the answer to why the EU does not impose sanctions to the US. Similarly, the US lets the Saudis get away with a lot of human rights abuses to avoid souring relations. And the Israel <-> Palestine conflict, why is the world so chill about that?
yeah that’s basically where I’m at as well on the whole thing
Also, the sanctions did impact the EU economy and the leaders have had to pay a price. They have gone as far as they have in large part because the US has pressured them - the EU possibly would not have several of the more drastic measures if it was up to them, to protect their economy.