The US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, 3 August 2017, signed legislation which was earlier overwhelmingly passed by both the chambers of the Congress. The congressional bill, which after the signature of Donald Trump has become a law, renews and reinforces even more stringent penalties and sanctions on the Russian Federation for its meddling in the US presidential elections, the annexation of Crimea and for continued aggression against Ukraine.
Moreover, the bill combines sanctions on North Korea and Iran as well and clubs Russia in the same league of “Rogue Nations” upon which the US administration has come down heavily for their belligerence and defiance.
The pattern of voting for the legislation that seeks to punish Russia, North Korea, and Iran for defying international law and order and playing truant to world peace, clearly establishes the overwhelming support the sanctions bill commanded among the members of both the parties, the Democrats and the Republicans respectively.
The house of elected representatives, the Congress, passed the revolutionary bill 419 to 3 on July 25 and two days later the house the Senate gave 98 voices in favor and only 2 against.
Congress also gave itself the power to review any presidential attempt to undo the Russia sanctions specifically, thereby tying the hands of President Trump from exhibiting any overt show of inclination towards the regime of Vladimir Putin.
The planned sanctions on Russia have in part been influenced by the outlook of American representatives to further punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The new provisions in the law would place additional restrictions on oil and gas projects, affecting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany. The new sanctions would also target key Russian industries such as the railways, shipping, metals, and mining, severely limiting access to global finances, new technology, and future contracts, collaboration with US companies.
