With overwhelming majorities in both the House and the Senate passing it, the Russia sanctions bill is heading to the desk of President Trump, and the White House has issued a statement this evening confirming that he will sign it.
That was not unexpected, as despite Trump’s reticence about the bill’s limitations on him lifting sanctions in the future, the veto-proof majorities would’ve doomed any veto attempt to end in embarrassing failure.
Instead, Trump appears to be trying to make the best o it, praising the bill for having responded to his concerns, despite the alterations made to the bill not having anything to do with his concerns about presidential powers.
This stands in contrast to White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, who only yesterday said Trump might veto the sanctions and then unilaterally impose even tougher sanctions against the Russians, seemingly just to try to outdo Congress. Ultimately, the administration appears to have decided against this.
I don’t understand why a veto override would be an embarrassment. For a president of principle, it shouldn’t. At least he could do a pocket veto.
My thoughts exactly. It’s more of an embarrassment to go against your own words. This is hardly a way of “getting along with Russia”.
“…go against your own words.”
Then again, if you really don’t believe “your own words” then there’s no reason to be embarrassed. OTOH, I don’t think there is anything that might embarrass Trump. He lies so often I doubt he knows the difference anymore.
But, that’s just this old Curmudgeon’s opinion…
Russian political clout around the world is solidifying while ours is fading. This might not be a good time to go in search of monsters. Is this somehow a sop to the Israelis for them not getting their way in Syria?
You really believe Syria has anything to do with Israel?
I am so disgusted with Congress right now that I could spit!!
Our entire congress can’t get together to do a damn thing for the people, but they can all get together for this? An act of economic war that’s illegal, unbelievably hypocritical and which would be laughable it it were not so dangerous.
What the hell is wrong with these people? They allow the president to wage war at will but put shackles on him when it comes to making peace. Can it get any more backwards that this?
Not one of these people should be re-elected. If the people in this country had half a brain combined they would vote each and every one of them out. They have proven that they are absolutely useless and worse than that they are dangerous.
The only thing the Republicans and Democrats can agree on is going to war.
We do something about it by voting them out.
That is the theory…in reality, it happens not nearly often enough.
Watch Germany. That’s a key part of this crisis. The bill targets a project Germany wants to build called NordStream II. This would bypass the nazis in Ukraine and bring Russian gas direct to Germany. This bill targets the companies building that pipeline.
The US dreams of selling expensive LNG shipped to Europe. But this costs several times more than Russian gas. So, Germany is either looking at cold winters or severe inflation in heating costs due to the US actions. Neither will be popular with the German people. So, Germany is threatening retalliation and a trade war if this bill is signed. And Germany is already upset with Trump over trade and various comments targetting German business.
Long-term, the likely result is to force Germany closer to Russia. There is already pressure from German business over lost profits due to sanctions on Russia.
The long-term result of this move is likely to be the end of the US policy of trying to block trade from Europe and Russia. That’s the US Congress …. aim gun at foot and pull trigger when bribed to do so.
Exactly. You know, this might actually bring about one of the few campaign promises Trump made – the dissolution of NATO. If Germany is forced to decide between Trump and the US’s idiotic ideologue-driven foreign policies and cheaper Russian gas for their citizens (voters)…
One can only hope…because the dumb as brick US populace won’t do a thing to change the belligerent warmongering US policy.
With any luck, the silver lining in all this is that this will crack NATO, an alliance that has outlived its usefulness and or it’s intended founding purposes. An ‘alliance’ in search of a conflict to justify its existence and budget.
That would be welcome to me. USA has been a cancer on this planet for too long.
The last thing those who own the United States Congress want is a world at peace.
Paul Craig Roberts was right all along. The writing is on the wall, people. It’s time to leave the U.S. if you can. Your re-presenters have their underground bunkers – they want to eat popcorn and watch the bombs drop. Diplomacy is dead. Trump signed away a Presidential power, he is blackmailed or one of them.
The war is coming. How will you survive ?
PCR hasn’t been right about anything (excluding 9/11 truth). The chances of global thermonuclear war are near zero. There will be financial, economic, and social dislocation in the western world, but don’t expect any mushroom clouds.
If you really want to be careful, latex rubber raincoats are the best protection from nuclear fallout. 😉
and you will believe that until the end. good luck.
If that is the plan, then tell me, what on earth are they waiting for? More bombs? More bases? More money? A color revolution in China? Assassinate Putin? Time is not on the Empire’s side.
What is not so well known yet ? For the last 20 years or more Godless Communist Russia has been trying to bring God back into their culture . Russia can thank Alexander Solzhenitsyn and the Orthodox church for this .While during this same time period Christian United States has made a great deal of effort to drive God out of the United States . Our last president even announced we are not a Christian country . Most people have not noticed this change yet . But most of the world governments have noticed the United States has been very agressive and evil in their actions with false flag attacks and initiating death all over the world with one lie after another .almost like the communists and Nazis used to do . While Russia seems to be more a country striving for peace and just operating on a much higher moral plane than they used to . Many other people have noticed this and say these two countries appear to have traded positions
Why should heaven intervene in the affairs of men?
Man’s government is all about using force to overcome evil,
in heaven a pacifist rules supreme,
There is no heaven.
why the hell not ?
No hell either. Why the heaven not?
Yes, America seems to have become the Evil Empire now, and Russia is promoting Christianity.
Which is evil in itself.
We aren’t a Christian country. And we were bombing the s**t out of people when the previous President(bush)was embracing Christianity. The very idea that our demise is being caused by our lack of belief in the sky fairy is ridiculous.
In 2002 a Zhirinovsky drunk rant from Baghdad
streets
just before the
invasion by US. He says Russia
can change the gravitational field of the Earth
to cause oceans flooding America.
Russia in Third Secret of Fatima
used as an instrument to chastize the world
with its flaming spear, striking the Earth’s axis
causing tsunamis and millions of
deaths
Read Diana Johnstone’s frightening report in counterpunch.com. this continuiation of the USA’s destruction of any form of international law as it rides roughshod over “enemies” and “friends” alike, and cares not at all about the people or the environment in the USA or anywhere in the world. What sort of humans are the 419 “House” and 98 “Senate” members who seem to have no understanding of what is likely to happen when their “punishment” of so many other countries causes havoc, as well as the warlike threats the sanctions present? Dems or Repugs, fancy spending all this time on the alleged interference in the elections, when this sort of quality of representation is possible.
Empire USA, the glory of Israel, in quest of immortality and taking humanity to heights where no man has gone before. Such is the
shadow that our imperialism casts over all the earth.
Saver such ecstasy plus,
does not all the world worship us?
President Putin the greatest statesman of our time, in a royal blowout with
Trump the greatest paid actor and realty star ever. Realty, wisdom and light striving to force fantasy, illusion and darkness to give way.
Now we shall see, if the purpose of this world so deceitful, is to save good from evil, or to reach the ultimate conclusion of evil?
Putin is the only mature adult in a room full of petulant children
“Trump might veto the sanctions and then unilaterally impose even tougher sanctions against the Russians”…..FOR NOTHING. Not one shred of evidence. This country/government is about as evil and corrupt as you can get. WW3 here we come as Paul Craig Roberts has been saying. The Russians know that the is no hope of honesty, fairness, Justice with this Government. This corrupt POS government is looking for ANY reason to end the Iranian deal, even though Iran is following every part of the treaty. So Russia your not alone.