The Russia sanctions bill moving through the House and Senate,and which appears to have growing bipartisan support after tacking on sanctions against both Iran and North Korea, has long been opposed by the White House, which has complained that the limitations on the president easing sanctions in the future was an unacceptable curb on his powers.
The White House, however, is signaling that they are softening on the bill more than a little, with newly minted Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders saying they “support where the legislation is now” and like it a lot better than the initial text.
At the same time, Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci says that President Trump has not yet made up his mind on whether or not he’s going to sign the legislation. The signs are that he’s fine with all the next sanctions, but still reticent about the limits on easing sanctions in the future.
The idea of limiting presidents’ ability to ease sanctions was initially a Republican initiative to try to derail the Iran nuclear deal, but has become a cause celebre this year for Democrats, who’ve accused President Trump of plotting to ease Russian sanctions, despite Trump having made no efforts to do so in the last six months.
And while tacking on more sanctions is relatively non-controversial politically within the US, the same cannot be said internationally. European officials have been particularly concerned, given their energy dependence on Russia, that new US sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector are going to ultimately boil down to sanctions on many EU companies, particularly German companies heavily invested in energy imports.
The sanctions haven’t killed Russia yet and will only make Russia stronger and more independent. The Russian people have lots of grit and are not so easily fooled as are most Americans.
So it’s really a biznezz deal to get European countries to buy oil from those who could not otherwise compete with Russia.
If Germany and Austria don’t revolt. They might, in which case the US will fall faster and harder.
This is a bill that will kill US economy, not so much anyone else. Russia being sanctioned by doing business in Europe will only harm Europe. But then Europe has shown remarkable tolerance to being hurt economically, so I expect will tolerate much, much more. But Russia is not really interested in Europe as we are made to believe. Focus is on developing infrastructure and energy plans for Asian region, as well as some European countries with which Russia and China have good relationship. If US is trying to transform Europe into its unsinkable aircraft carrier to threaten Russia, here again, we are in 19th century logic. Wars will be fought from space, and from the oceans. The missiles will be raining from the near space orbit, or from submarines close to shores. In those scenarios, missiles flying over 10 times the speed of sound, will not need to cover long distances at all. And while we are talking a lot about missile defense, all our efforts are really in the domain of offense, encircling Russia with bases. In reality, this does absolutely NOTHING for our defense, the actual defense of US territory. Russia is putting premium into defense, and we are responsible for it. This, just the growth of Russian economy will be the result of our aggressive foreign policy posture. And yet, there is still only a scant understanding in the population of the critical danger that this foreign policy represents to our economy and our security. It is this blindness that is hard to understand.
Bianca, the “U.S. economy” consists of money printing and computer-programmed inflation. Nothing else, maybe some mall shopping of Chinese products.
We have to say this is very war like congress .I should think sanctions might not be in the best interests of business or peace ? So evidently congress wants to stand in the presidents way to block peace So Trump can not increase business . Several administrations have went to war with out letting congress even vote on it .All the while this is supposed to be the constitutional duty of congress only to declare war . Well I suppose if congress neglects to do their duty on declaring wars when they are supposed to . The least they can do is block peace when they are not supposed to . This is a very strange congress that is willing to do as much damage as they can by causing as much trouble for this administration as they can .It boils down to this congress does not trust this president All the while it was the last 4 US presidents they should have not trusted so much
Trump seems to be caving on every issue, time after time. Where’s the backbone?
I wonder if these Israel firsters who sponsored this bill can add and subtract-the economics of us supplied gas do not work, transported by sea, much more expensive.
It’s interesting that Congress is so quick to impose sanctions with little to no justification and yet want to revoke Americans free speech rights by criminalizing (with fines and prison terms) the BDS movement. The foreign interference in U.S. politics that Congress and the MSM focuses on is the myth of Russian interference instead of the now complete corruption of our political system by Israel and its agents of influence.
Of course the exceptional USA cares NOT AT ALL about its allies, let alone world peace or any sign of fairness or decency. It is also about to criminalize support for BDS, ie allow Israel,which really does interfere with US politics,to escape the use of non-violent, voluntary peaceful methods to stop its illegal occupation of Palestine.
Tillerson is embarrased and is quitting. Giving Trump time to find successor. Reports everywhere.