But without fraternity, in a region so pervasively mauled and inter-connected, they risk souring.
The subpoena is more evidence of Washington's souring relationship with the Wall Street Titan; the Securities and Exchange Commission brought civil-fraud charges against Goldman in April.
Western Europeans were allowing eastern Europeans to get away with this outrageous revisionism, he suggested, because they were fearful of souring relations.
As Banks globally grapple with souring investments tied to U.S. subprime mortgages, Europe's Banks have added to the problems for investors because they differ in how they value their credit exposure.
A third change is that more aid has been given to western Banks that face souring loans, typically to clients in Hungary and the Baltic states who borrowed in euros or Swiss francs.
