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Trump signs Russian sanctions bill into law Trump signs Russia sanctions bill into law
(35 minutes later)
US President Donald Trump has signed legislation that imposes new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea and limits his ability to ease sanctions without approval from Congress. Both chambers of Congress had passed the bill with veto-proof majorities. US President Donald Trump has signed legislation that imposes new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea and limits his ability to ease restrictions without approval from Congress. Both chambers of Congress had passed the bill with veto-proof majorities.
Trump signed the bill on Wednesday morning, according to the White House statement. In a statement following his signing of the 'Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act,' Trump said he supports “making clear that America will not tolerate interference in our democratic process, and that we will side with our allies and friends against Russian subversion and destabilization.”
The administration will carry out the law, but has concerns about its impact and the constitutionality of some of its provisions, Bloomberg reported citing a signing statement Trump appended to the law.  Trump had previously repeatedly expressed doubts about Moscow’s alleged interference in the US presidential election, which is one of the things for which the bill is ostensibly punishing Russia.
According to the statement, Congress encroached on presidential authority and the sanctions will hurt US ability to work with allies. In his Wednesday statement, Trump also called the bill “seriously flawed,” saying it encroaches on the executive branch’s authority to negotiate foreign policy. “Congress could not even negotiate a healthcare bill after seven years of talking,” wrote the president. “By limiting the Executive’s flexibility this bill makes it harder for the United States to strike good deals for the American people, and will drive China, Russia, North Korea much closer together.”
READ MORE: Trump: Newly-signed Russia sanctions law ‘significantly flawed’ Despite the concerns, Trump signed the bill “for the sake of national unity,” he wrote. “It represents the will of the American people to see Russia take steps to improve relations with the United States,” Trump added.
Trump had little option but to sign the bill, as the Senate approved it by a vote of 98-2 on July 27, and the House of Representatives voted 419 to 3 in favor the day prior. The State Department put out a similar statement last week, raising eyebrows at the suggestion that hurting Russia would help foster better relations.
The new sanctions cite Russia’s 2014 “annexation” of the Crimean peninsula and the alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election, as well as Moscow’s military intervention in Syria. While the US is describing Russia’s actions in Syria as aggression, Russian forces were officially invited by the internationally recognized Syrian government, while the US presence in that country falls outside international law. Earlier, both chambers of the US Congress overwhelmingly voted to approve the bill which seeks to punish Russia over a host of issues including its alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election, its support for the Syrian government, alleged support for the rebels in Ukraine, as well as Crimea’s accession to Russia. The US considers the latter illegal even though residents of Crimea had overwhelmingly voted for the reunification in a referendum three years ago.
The new sanctions have been criticized by several senior politicians in Europe, including the Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel. Critics of the US government’s move argue the sanctions could affect European energy security and serve Washington’s economic interests – in line with Trump’s stated “America First” foreign policy. The sanctions target a wide array of entities and individuals – including Russia’s energy sector, banks and weapons manufacturers, as well as those whom the US has accused of interfering in the presidential election through hacking and otherwise.
To reverse each of the sanctions, the administration would have to provide evidence and certify that the conditions that prompted them have been removed.
“It empowers Congress to review and disapprove of any sanctions relief,” said Rep. Ed Royce (R-California) on the House floor ahead of the vote on July 25.
Moscow responded to the bill’s passage in Congress by retaliating for the US expulsion of Russian diplomats and closure of two properties, ordered by outgoing President Barack Obama in December 2016. Two US diplomatic properties in Russia were locked down, while the US embassy was told to reduce its staff to the level of the Russian embassy in the US, requiring Washington to pull out 755 employees.
The new sanctions have been criticized by a number of senior politicians in Europe, including Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel. They argue the sanctions could affect European energy security and serve Washington’s economic interests – in line with Trump’s stated 'America First' foreign policy.
“We deem it absolutely unacceptable when a bill demands that Europeans give up on Russian gas so that they could sell American instead, at a much higher price,” Gabriel said.“We deem it absolutely unacceptable when a bill demands that Europeans give up on Russian gas so that they could sell American instead, at a much higher price,” Gabriel said.
Russian energy giant Gazprom currently supplies a third of European gas demands, having delivered a record 179 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas to Europe in 2016. Construction of additional delivery infrastructure would diversify the supply of Russian gas and make the delivery of fuel much cheaper than the costly US alternative of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Russian energy giant Gazprom currently supplies a third of European gas demands, having delivered a record 179 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas to Europe in 2016. Construction of additional delivery infrastructure would diversify the supply of Russian gas and make its delivery cheaper.