The EU authorities managed to withdraw some of the energy projects with Russian participation from the sanctions. This in an interview with Radio Sputnik said the permanent representative of Russia in the EU Vladimir Chizhov.

Direct instructions received from the White House about a new package of restrictive measures introduced in early August, "an unambiguous picture in the eyes of Europeans did not create". According to EU officials, there is a gap in US law. His appearance of the Europeans "tend to be attributed to the results of their own efforts at the stage of passing this law through the Congress," Chizhov noted.. He admitted that compared with the original version of the draft law on sanctions, the European Union "managed to smooth out some corners and some figures to correct".

One such relief appeared in the article most sensitive to Russia on gas pipelines. "In the original version, it was noted that the president" must "take the appropriate steps, and the EU members argue that it is due to their educational work with Americans that the verb" shall ", which is read as" should "in this context, has been replaced by the verb" may " , That is, "can", said the diplomat.

Further, the level of permissible Russian participation in international energy projects in the final version of the law was raised from 10% to 33%. This made it possible to withdraw part of the agreements from the sanctions, although the "North Stream-2" and other major Russian projects did not help such an easing.

According to Chizhov, much will depend on law enforcement practice, that is, on how strictly European bodies and companies will observe the restrictions imposed by the Americans. The European Union will not be so easy to develop a unified position on the issue of sanctions because of radically different positions, the Permanent Representative noted..

"There are countries from which sound quite harsh statements, for example from Berlin, from Paris, and these are still the two leading countries of the European Union. Both here and there this law was declared to be contrary to international law. But at the same time there was also the reaction of Warsaw and the Baltic capitals, where everyone was just jubilant with applause, "Chizhov said..

"As for European business, his voice long before the birth of this law sounded loud in favor of maintaining the established ties in the trade and economic sphere with Russia. This voice now sounds loud enough. Of course, governments can not completely ignore this voice, and I hope they will not continue, "he continued..

However, despite the discontent of the authorities of Germany, France and other countries, as well as the continental business elite, the European Union will not make any sharp moves towards the US. On the losses of European companies, local officials can simply close their eyes. The maximum that Brussels will dare to do - will get Washington any exclusions from the law, or agree on the non-use of certain instruments to at least somehow mitigate the negative effect on the local business of American sanctions.

Earlier in the European Union, they expressed concern over the fact that new sanctions against the Russian Federation could damage the economic and energy interests of the EU and entail "unforeseen consequences". In particular, Germany, according to some reports, has warned the US of retaliatory measures if anti-Russian sanctions somehow affect German firms engaged in the construction of the Nord Stream-2 pipeline,.

European officials of high rank took the signing of Donald Tramp's bill on new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea extremely negative. German Foreign Minister Zigmar Gabriel called the new sanctions illegal, noting that with their help, Washington wants to clear a place for the supply of US energy resources. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that Brussels will defend the economic interests of the EU.