The effort to strike a transatlantic trade pact this year isn’t just occupying political leaders in Washington, Brussels, Paris and Berlin.It’s also being eyed warily in Moscow, where Russian officials see the potential deal as a threat.
The Russian suspicion is easy to understand: While fights over French cheese, U.S. procurement rules and environmental regulations make headlines, supporters argue that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will strengthen the broader transatlantic relationship. Some have even taken to calling the deal an “economic NATO.”
And just as Vladimir Putin has opposed the expansion of NATO and EU influence in Russia’s backyard, Russian officials …read more
Source: European Voice
