US senate approves bill on new sanctions against Russia
On Wednesday, the US Senate almost unanimously (97 for, 2 against) approved the document which could put into law and expand the sanctions against Russia, Golos Ameriki reports.
Corresponding amendments were introduced into the law on sanctions with respect to Iran. The senators added the Russian sanctions there too.
Amongst other things, the document obligates the White House to coordinate the decision with Congress if it decides to ease, suspend or lift the current sanctions against Russia. The president could veto this amendment, but the Senate is convinced that there are enough votes to overcome this veto.
According to the lawmakers, the new sanctions are a kind of punishment of Russia for its involvement in cyber-attacks on the American elections, for occupying Ukrainian Crimea and supporting the Syrian government in the six year civil war.
The amendment to the sanctions against Russia legislatively consolidates and strengthens six existing executive acts, signed by president Obama regarding Russia and Ukraine and the Russian cyber-attacks. According to Senator Sherrod Brown, this document, if it is signed by the president, will give Congress the ability to control the sanction-related politics of the US president towards Russia.
“This document gives the administration the opportunity to introduce sanctions on the main sectors of the Russian economy: the mining industry, metallurgy, maritime and railway transport, as well as new investments in Russian pipelines,” noted Brown, one of the initiators of the new sanctions.
The restrictions also concern Russian energy, and also strengthen the fight against Russian disinformation and propaganda in Central and Eastern Europe. The American lawmakers are confident that these sanctions will give support to their European allies.