US Sanctions

President Donald Trump signed into a law a bill which imposes new sanctions on Russia for their alleged meddling in the 2016 election. The bill, which was signed in private at the White House, also imposes sanctions on Iran and North Korea.

Mr Trump accused Congress of overreach on the legislation, which “handcuffs” him from easing Russia penalties.

Moscow said the sanctions “put paid to hopes that our relations with the new American administration” would improve. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also said this move meant the US had declared a “full-scale trade war” on Russia. The Kremlin denied interfering in the US election, and Mr Trump rejected any allegations that his campaign staff colluded with Russia to help him win.

Hours after the US president signed the bill, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “This isn’t news. The thing is, the bill was approved and was going to automatically become law with or without the president’s signature.”

Moscow had already retaliated last week to Congress passing the bill, by expelling 755 people from its US embassy and consulates.

Several European nations, including Germany, are fearful of the economic consequences and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned of “unintended unilateral effects that impact the EU’s energy security interests”.

In signing the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, Mr Trump attached a statement calling the measure “deeply flawed”. He accused Congress, which last week overwhelmingly passed the bill and sent it to the White House, of overstepping its constitutional authority. “As president, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress,” he said.

www.bbc.com

President of the United States Barack Obama decreed to extend earlier imposed sanctions against Russia over the ongoing developments in Ukraine for another year starting in March, according to Friday’s statement from the White House.

“For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 6, 2014, and the measures adopted on that date, on March 16, 2014, on March 20, 2014, and on December 19, 2014, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2017,” US President Obama was quoted as saying in the statement.

“Therefore,… I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660 (issued on March 16, 2014),” Obama said.

A total of three US presidential executive orders were issued in regard to Russia over the developments in Ukraine, namely in March 16 and 20, 2014, as well as on December 19, 2014 on the globally-debated issue of Crimea’s reunification with Russia.

The ensuing sanctions on behalf of the United States hit a number of Russian state officials, businessmen and national companies, as well as officials from the government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and authorities of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.

President-elect Donald Trump will keep President Barack Obama’s sanctions on Russia for at least the beginning of his presidency, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Trump suggested Russia could get the sanctions lifted if the country was cooperative in helping the U.S. fight terrorism, and if it was generally more amenable.

“If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody’s doing some really great things,” Trump declared.

Trump has previously indicated he would like to “get along with Russia.” He also told reporters, “Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I’m leading than when other people have led it”.

www.tass.com, www.dailycaller.com

The United States broadened the sanction list against Russia related to developments in Ukraine, the US Treasury Department said in its statement December 20.

Seven individuals, several dozens of organizations and two vessels under the Russian flag were included into the list. Nine regional units of Russian gas producer Novatek are now in the sanction list. Furthermore, Crimean Ports, Crimean Railways, Stroiproekt Institute, Transflot, and others are in the hit list as well.  Marshal Zhukov and Stalingrad, two vessels bearing the Russian flag and subjected to sanctions, belong to Transflot company.

Moscow reserves the right to choose the time, venue and form of counter-moves to US sanctions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Tass Tuesday, commenting on the move.

“We will be expanding our lists, we will see how we can respond asymmetrically. We reserve the right to choose the timing, the venue and form of counter-moves the way that will suit us, and the way it will be relevant to our own priorities in the American direction,” he said.

www.tass.com