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Donald Trump plans to sign Russia sanctions bill, White House says
By Anne Gearan
Washington: US President Donald Trump plans to sign a bill passed by US Congress that increases sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea, the White House announced late on Friday.
The decision comes despite strong reservations among Trump advisers over a provision that binds his hands when it comes to altering sanctions policy against Moscow.
A 98-to-2 vote by the Senate on Thursday had set up a choice between vetoing the bill knowing that lawmakers were prepared to override his veto, or signing legislation his administration lobbied hard against.
"President Donald J. Trump read early drafts of the bill and negotiated regarding critical elements of it," a White House statement said. "He has now reviewed the final version and, based on its responsiveness to his negotiations, approves the bill and intends to sign it."
US President Donald Trump Credit: AP
It was not clear what influence the White House claimed Trump had exerted. The bill still includes mandatory congressional review.
The decision to sign followed announcement Friday that Russia would kick out a large number of US diplomats and staff in retaliation for similar US actions last December. Russia had held off on a tit-for-tat response at the time out of deference to Trump, then the incoming president. Trump has promised as a candidate that he would seek better relations with Moscow, and had expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian action signalled a loss of patience by Putin with the Trump administration's ability to change the bilateral relationship, as the legislation handcuffs Trump's power to lift the punitive measures taken by the United States in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine.
It was not immediately clear how many US diplomats and other workers would be forced to leave either the country or their posts, but the Interfax news agency cited an informed source as saying "hundreds" of people would be affected.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.Credit: AP
A diplomatic source told Reuters that it would be for the United States to decide which posts to cut, whether occupied by US or Russian nationals.
An official at the US Embassy, who declined to be named because they were not allowed to speak to the media, said the Embassy employed around 1100 diplomatic and support staff in Russia, including Russian and US citizens.
Russian state television channel Rossiya 24 said over 700 staff would be affected but that was not confirmed by the foreign ministry or the US embassy.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday that Moscow had no choice but to respond now, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Lavrov cited "a number of hostile steps" taken by the United States but also told Tillerson that Moscow was "ready to normalise the bilateral relations with the US and cooperate on important international issues," the Foreign Ministry said.
"We have expressed our strong disappointment and protest," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. The US protests came during Tillerson's call with Lavrov and a meeting US Ambassador John Tefft held in Moscow with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement said the passage of the US bill confirmed "the extreme aggression of the United States in international affairs".
Washington Post, Reuters