Germany has rallied Europe in support of Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia, but has been less diligent in their implementation. German leaders back these ineffectual measures primarily to humor the United States and are rightly unwilling to suffer too much for them.
In a recent speech to her CDU party, which ended with a nine-minute standing ovation, Chancellor Angela Merkel said of the sanctions:
"It was the right reaction, no matter how much we'd like to keep a good relationship with Russia. We must adhere to our principles."