Trump open to signing Russia sanctions legislation

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

The United States is ready to take a harsher stance on Moscow by adopting a new law on sanctions.

U.S. President Donald Trump will most likely sign the bill toughening sanctions against Russia, when Senate and House of Representatives reach an agreement, the White House spokesperson said on July 23, Reuters reported.   

Republicans and Democrats have reached agreement on the legislation which "would limit any potential effort by Trump to try to lift sanctions against Moscow."

"We support where the legislation is now and will continue working with the House and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia until the situation in Ukraine is fully resolved," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told ABC's 'This Week' program.

A new tough package of sanctions against Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and for meddling in the 2016 presidential elections was previously approved by the Senate on June 15, but has not yet been considered by the House of Representatives. 

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, said that a vote is expected to take place in the House on July 25.

Trump's new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, said the president had not yet decided whether he would sign the bill. However, some U.S. high officials consider that the legislation may pass with enough votes to override the president’s veto.

Certain parts of the bill were negotiated between Trump's administarion and lawmakers including the requirement that Trump obtain Congress' permission before easing sanctions.

The proposed sanctions involve a reduction of the maximum period for market financing of Russian banks to 14 days, and companies in the oil and gas sector to 30 days.

The document also suggests that the U.S. president can impose sanctions on persons who intend to invest in the construction of Russian export pipelines more than $5 million per year or $1 million at a time or to provide projects with services, technologies and information support.

The question of new Russian sanctions has been raised by a number of senators in both parties after the intelligence community announced in January its conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of President Donald Trump. Putin has denied any interference in the U.S. democratic process last year.

Previously, the White House promised to block this document if it gets to the president's signature.