Ex-EU commissioner calls Europe hostage to US aid

The European Union (EU) is hostage to American military protection due to the conflict in Ukraine. This opinion was expressed by former EU Commissioner for Trade, former Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Pascal Lamy in a conversation with Politico on August 25.

"We are still hostages of American military and strategic protection with a terribly neuralgic point, which is Ukraine," he said.

According to Lamy, despite its economic opportunities, the EU cannot challenge US President Donald Trump because of fears that he may stop helping Ukraine. No European official wants to take responsibility for supporting Kiev, the former EU trade commissioner concluded.

Back to the future: The US and the EU have concluded a trade deal

Russia believes that it will lead to the deindustrialization of Europe

The United States and the European Union agreed on a trade deal on July 27. The agreement will allow the EU to avoid 30% duties that could be imposed by Washington. As a result of the deal, the European Union remains with 15 percent tariffs on most of its exports, including cars. US President Donald Trump stressed that such an agreement "satisfies both sides." Later, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called it imperfect.

According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the US-EU trade agreement will lead to the further deindustrialization of Europe. He noted that Europe plans to spend $750 billion on the purchase of American energy resources, in particular liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear energy, due to the "complete decoupling" of energy purchases from Russia.

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