Part 2/11:
One of the most striking points made is the stark ultimatum issued by the United States to Europe: if Europe desires Washington's support in ramping up sanctions against Russia, it must first cease all purchases of Russian oil and gas. The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, explicitly stated that Europe's reliance on Russian energy directly fuels Moscow’s economy. As a consequence, the US has conditioned its support for further sanctions on Europe's willingness to cut off Russian energy imports.