Turkey has been compelled to get Russian S-400.

By Min CholThe US is wielding a sanctions stick irrespective of objects, be they its allies or potential enemies, when they stand in its way to hold supremacy and satisfy greed.A typical example is the US sanctions against Turkey.A NATO member nation, Turkey is an ally of the US. Much upset by the practical measures the former took to purchase the Russia-made anti-aircraft rocket system in the face of its repeated threats, the US abolished preferential trade relations with Turkey on May 17 to impose undisguised sanctions on it.As to this, the chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council censured the US' hegemonic approach, saying it is applying sanctions even to its allies on a constant basis.The US is trying to impose sanctions against some European countries which are involved in the gas pipeline construction project "Northern stream-2".Under the circumstances, Germany, Austria and other countries revealed their stand to support and cooperate for the project in the face of the US sanctions and pressure.Most recently, the US applied sanctions to a Chechnya rapid reaction unit of the Russian national guards, designated the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a terrorist organization and put into operation a decision on totally blocking Iran’s oil export. It has given rise to strong opposition of Russia and Iran, as well as many countries which are keeping in touch with Iran.At a meeting with the US Secretary of State, European foreign ministers expressed serious concern over the danger of accidental conflicts to be entailed by growing tension in the Middle East, asserting that the behaviour of the US which is intensifying pressure and sanctions against Iran is improper.The US is also escalating a trade war with China.On May 10, it increased additional tariffs on imported Chinese goods worth US$ 200 billion from 10 to 25 percent.China, which had expressed its will to strongly cope with the US’ pressure, decided to raise the rate of additional tariffs on some American products worth US$ 60 billion which came into effect at 0:00 on June 1 2019 and to introduce 25, 20 or 10 percent additional tariffs respectively.There is a sign that the growth rate of the world economy will drop due to the US-China trade conflict.The international community’s opposition to the US is growing more as the latter expanded the measure of sanctions on Cuba by resuming the operation of the Helmz-Burton Act.Considering that European companies have close economic and trade dealings with Cuba, the public is of the opinion that the recent sanctions measure against Cuba is an arbitrary act aimed even at its allies to seek its own interests.Experts assert that the US set in motion the act in a bid to get concessions in trade negotiations by putting pressure on European countries.Warning the US not to take measures which might have negative effects on the interests of Europe in Cuba, the European Union clarified its stand to protect its interests, including the investment into Cuba and its economic activities.The US imposed independent sanctions on more than 40 objects of different countries including China, Russia, Singapore and South Africa on suspicion of having business dealings with the DPRK.The international community is criticizing the US as it seized a DPRK vessel by invoking its domestic law, imposed additional sanctions on the DPRK’s vessels, organizations and individuals and works to restrict the legitimate activities of Korean diplomats.The law of action and reaction is not applied only to physics.The stick of sanctions the US is wielding rashly in disregard of international law and customs will be a lethal weapon marring the US itself.(Source: The Pyongyang Times - July 13, 2019)