Germany Struggles to Find United Stance on Russia

Politically divided nations struggle to present a strong front on foreign policies. The United States supports sanctions against Russia for supporting Syria’s dictator, attacking civilians, delaying negotiations, as well as annexation of Crimea. Such sanctions are ineffective without solid European support. German Chancellor Angela Merkel governs with a coalition government, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agrees that Russia shows little interest in diplomacy, reports Spiegel Online. Still, Germany’s Social Democrats are stepping back from Merkel's Russia policies. “Large segments of the German population, particularly in the eastern part of the country, feel closer to Russia than to the United States,” the article notes, adding that “the SPD leadership believes that voters would be amenable to revisiting a policy of détente with the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Opponents of sanctions for Russia hope that greater economic cooperation can reduce aggression. Meanwhile, the German government supports a pipeline that would increase Germany’s dependence on Russian natural gas. Italy describes the stance as hypocritical, especially after Germany blocked a similar pipeline in southern Europe. Russia's Gazprom said it will consider annulling the pipeline expansion deal. – YaleGlobal