US seeks to destabilize Russia at the expense of EU

Question: We’re looking at Russia and the warning is serious. To 18 countries of the EU Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued this letter saying that they risk losing gas. I’m wondering if this is a game of chess that’s being played by Russia because at the same time Russia is going to lose out on it revenues off these gas sales. 
 
Stryker: I don’t think it’s quite a game of chess on one side; it’s on both sides because the United States is offering Europe to implement some deliveries of gas, which in fact would take years to make possible.
 
    It’s all a bluff I think on the United States’ side and it’s all part of a grander scheme to destabilize Russia. They’re using Ukraine just as a few years ago they used Georgia.
 
And it can go anywhere in the borders of Russia that attempts will be made to destabilize the country.
 
Q: Let’s break this down a little bit further. If we look at a country like Germany, 30 percent of its gas comes from Russia. It’s going to be awfully hard to have that replaced. And then we’re looking at the Baltic States where almost 100 percent of their gas is supplied by Russia.
 
Regarding countries in Europe do you think if push comes to shove we might not see this United stance as we’ve seen from countries in Europe vis-à-vis Russia - for example Germany not wanting to go through with sanctions or this negative posturing that has been taking place?
 
Stryker: I think it’s already been not a united stand on the part of the Europeans who are caught between a rock and a hard place as we say.
 
They are very reluctant to go through with sanctions, with really meaningful sanctions, because they know that they’re the ones who are going to pay the price, just as you’re suggesting.
 
In particular, Germany through declarations by representatives of German industry has made it quite clear that it doesn’t favor sanctions. 
 
Q: And finally if you can I’d like to find out from you... this push by the United States of which its allies in Europe are also at this point following through with regarding sanctioning Russia - some of them close friends of Russia President Vladimir Putin.
 
Doesn’t that risk throwing Russia into the arms like China, Iran and even BRIC countries? - Something that the US and its allies have tried, in some way or another, very hard not to happen. 
 
Stryker: Well, I hardly think you can talk about throwing Russia into anybody’s arms. I think Russia is a strong enough country not to have to be referred to in that manner.
 
And I think the BRICS countries are a growing concern for Washington, while it purports to dismiss them and the power that they are increasingly acquiring on the world stage.
 
I think it’s very worried about Russia, China, India, South Africa, and Brazil combining their efforts in a different direction from the direction Washington wants the world to take.