US fears that energy crisis in Europe may weaken support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russian Federation, - CNN
According to CNN, with reference to American and European officials, the USA fears that against the backdrop of a rapid increase in energy costs caused by the Russian invasion, support for sanctions pressure on Russia in Europe may decrease.
This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to UNIAN.
American intelligence officials believe that destroying unity among Western countries in the face of Russian aggression is a key priority for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Putin is betting that he will be tougher than the Ukrainians, the Europeans and the Americans, that he will be able to exhaust the Ukrainians, strangle their economy, [and that] the Europeans, who will meet the winter with high energy prices, will lose their resolve," said formerly CIA Director William Burns.
White House officials continue to insist they saw no apparent split in the united front and to some extent saw Putin's actions as both predictable and only strengthening the resolve of European allies.
"We believe that Russia's actions have only strengthened unity among Europeans. The message that Russia is sending to every European is that they are unreliable partners. Therefore, hostility towards Russia is only growing," said one high-ranking US official.
But other US officials believe there is a real risk that as the cost of electricity rises and winter approaches, the European population may oppose the Western strategy of isolating Russia economically.
"Russia definitely wants the Europeans to be nervous - energy is their biggest tool to turn the European community against war," said a source familiar with Western intelligence.
The direct impact on the United States remains small, two sources familiar with US and Western government views said, given that Washington does not rely on Russian energy imports at all and is actually a major exporter of liquefied natural gas.
But U.S. officials have been keeping a close eye on the recent protest against high energy prices in the Czech Republic and are keeping a close eye on any signs of growing instability in Europe.
"We're obviously watching this closely. We still see strong resolve and unity at the leadership level, despite Putin's use of energy as a weapon. And the president of the United States is committed to maintaining that unity, resolve and strength," a spokesperson told CNN White House National Security Advisor John Kirby.
It is noted that the White House has made significant efforts to ensure the supply of gas to countries that, on the one hand, are of crucial importance for the Western coalition, and on the other hand, are very vulnerable to Russia's attempts to blackmail with its energy resources.
The threat of political instability, which US and EU officials see as poised to be fomented by right-wing elements across Europe, has long been recognized as a threat, but until now it has rarely been talked about openly.
However, much will likely depend on weather conditions, US and Western officials told CNN. According to one of them, if the winter is mild, gas storage stocks, which have already exceeded benchmarks, may be enough to prevent widespread shortages.
