Sanctions have not worked to date except to make both the USA and Russia poorer.  Additional sanctions will not work.   20 million Russians died during WW II.  Without that enormous sacrifice, the Allied powers may not have achieved victory in WW II.   

The Russians make all kinds of silly mistakes, no doubt, but they are tough.  When I think of tough, I think of British soldiers and I think of Russians.  I almost think of Israeli soldiers cowering in the corner.  (OK I exaggerate; Israelis slide into the tough category quite easily.)   This toughness is something we should benefit from; why alienate such a potentially valuable friend and ally? 

This is so sad.  US multinationals should be making a killing in Russia right now.  Russia can be so useful to the USA and the rich west in general in helping resolve some thorny conflicts, particularly in the Mid-East. Russia could have been or could be extremely useful in resolving some situations with military force where western armies dare not tread or act.

If you removed this purported US leadership and took away German war-guilt and had left the decision to the EU 27 (minus Germany), Nordstream would never have got to the planning stage.

Delayed by US threats and sanctions, Nord Stream 2 highlights why countries are challenging US leadership

US efforts to contain Russia and maintain leadership over Europe are not working. The world has become multi-polar, and Nord Stream 2 is a fulcrum at the centre of the current crisis.

bump ........

And a further thought.  Perhaps it is the EU bowing to Putin since y'all are getting your nat gas from him instead of us.  Don't want to offend him.  He could cut off your gas at the turn of a valve.  Just like he has done repeatedly to Ukraine.  And the pipeline runs right through Ukraine ... 
Hmmm.  Maybe Putin is simply thinking about the security of his pipeline ...

European news media (not only the corporate ones) are all going berserk on this topic since weeks.... perhaps, this is because they're all being "owned"?!

Good news!
The EU has found an innovative solution to achieve greener energy production!

Nuclear power and even natural gas power plants were quickly redefined as green energy producers.

In the case of nuclear power plants, one can perhaps rationalize an argument for it, but ... natural gas ?!
Newsflash: This is a fossil fuel! That is the complete opposite of sustainability!

Did you hear that too? Russia is concentrating its troops on the border with Ukraine? The west is getting nervous? Russia presents a list of demands?

The Guardian puts it this way:

Russia has put forward a highly contentious list of security guarantees it says it wants the west to agree to in order to lower tensions in Europe and defuse the crisis over Ukraine, including many elements that have already been ruled out.

Whoa these Russians, ey! What are they actually imagining? Just asking for 'things' here!
Hey, psst, what are they asking for?

The demands include a ban on Ukraine entering Nato and a limit to the deployment of troops and weapons to Nato’s eastern flank, in effect returning Nato forces to where they were stationed in 1997, before an eastward expansion.

Like right now? They want what the West promised back in 1990? What was the condition of the Soviet Union for reunification? That NATO is not expanding to the east?

Yes, hey, well that is absolutely unreasonable. Where are we going? Just imagine the other way around, that the West demands that Ukraine not join Russia and that the Russians station missiles there in the direction of Europe!

No no. OUR demand that Ukraine should join the West, of course, has no alternative, and it is also noble, democratic and good. THEIR demand that Ukraine join Russia ... oh wait, they don’t even demand that. They are simply demanding that Ukraine not join NATO. So they ask less than we ask the other way around.

Ah!

Why is our demand noble, just and good, and their demand bad, ugly and mean? Did anyone understand?

But the Kremlin’s aggressive proposals are likely to be rejected in western capitals as an attempt to formalize a new Russian sphere of influence over eastern Europe.

Oh, that's because of the aggressiveness. If the Kremlin is demanding that our missiles point another direction, then that is aggressive. If we station our missiles in Ukraine and point them at Russia, then that is peace policy. Oh no, wait. Stability policy!

I find it extremely remarkable that nobody's head veins burst when they state that the Russians are the bad guys if they want the West to keep its promises.

Some may say, there were no such promises from the West at all. Yes, of course, that is the western reading. The Russians thought it was so absurd that NATO would work its way forward that verbal announcements such as of Genscher and then US Secretary of State Baker were sufficient.

Wikipedia about it.

(Source.)

Did you hear that too? Russia is concentrating its troops on the border with Ukraine? The west is getting nervous? Russia presents a list of demands?

The Guardian puts it this way:

Russia has put forward a highly contentious list of security guarantees it says it wants the west to agree to in order to lower tensions in Europe and defuse the crisis over Ukraine, including many elements that have already been ruled out.

Whoa these Russians, ey! What are they actually imagining? Just asking for 'things' here!
Hey, psst, what are they asking for?

The demands include a ban on Ukraine entering Nato and a limit to the deployment of troops and weapons to Nato’s eastern flank, in effect returning Nato forces to where they were stationed in 1997, before an eastward expansion.

Like right now? They want what the West promised back in 1990? What was the condition of the Soviet Union for reunification? That NATO is not expanding to the east?

Yes, hey, well that is absolutely unreasonable. Where are we going? Just imagine the other way around, that the West demands that Ukraine not join Russia and that the Russians station missiles there in the direction of Europe!

No no. OUR demand that Ukraine should join the West, of course, has no alternative, and it is also noble, democratic and good. THEIR demand that Ukraine join Russia ... oh wait, they don’t even demand that. They are simply demanding that Ukraine not join NATO. So they ask less than we ask the other way around.

Ah!

Why is our demand noble, just and good, and their demand bad, ugly and mean? Did anyone understand?

But the Kremlin’s aggressive proposals are likely to be rejected in western capitals as an attempt to formalize a new Russian sphere of influence over eastern Europe.

Oh, that's because of the aggressiveness. If the Kremlin is demanding that our missiles point another direction, then that is aggressive. If we station our missiles in Ukraine and point them at Russia, then that is peace policy. Oh no, wait. Stability policy!

I find it extremely remarkable that nobody's head veins burst when they state that the Russians are the bad guys if they want the West to keep its promises.

Some may say, there were no such promises from the West at all. Yes, of course, that is the western reading. The Russians thought it was so absurd that NATO would work its way forward that verbal announcements such as of Genscher and then US Secretary of State Baker were sufficient.

Wikipedia about it.

(Source.)