Russia describes US sanctions a ‘fullfledged economic war’
Says relations at ‘dangerous low’ level, blames Congress after reluctantly approving sanctions
MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev lashed out at new US sanctions as a “fullfledged economic war” on Moscow, saying they crushed hopes for repairing ties and demonstrated President Donald Trump’s “total weakness ... in the most humiliating way.”
Trump reluctantly signed off on the new sanctions on Wednesday, bowing to domestic pressure after the White House failed to scupper the bill or water it down.
On Thursday, Trump said relations with Russia had hit an all-time low, putting the blame on Congress. “Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low,” Trump tweeted.
Earlier, Medvedev warned the US sanctions would have “consequences”, saying “it ends hopes for improving our relations with the new US administration.”
“Second, it is a declaration of a full-fledged economic war on Russia,” he posted on Facebook.
Taunting the thin-skinned US president, he added: “The Trump administration has shown its total weakness by handing over executive power to Congress in the most humiliating way”.
The sanctions seek to penalize the Kremlin for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Washington has already slapped several rounds of sanctions on Moscow since 2014, and in December then leader Barack Obama turfed 35 Russian diplomats out due to accusations of election interference.
The legislation — which also includes measures against North Korea and Iran — targets the Russian energy sector, giving Washington the ability to impose sanctions on companies involved in developing Russian pipelines, and has placed curbs on some Russian weapons exporters.
Iran, too, reacted angrily, saying the new sanctions against it “violated” its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and warned it would respond “appropriately.”
With regards to Russia, the sanctions notably constrains Trump’s ability to waive the penalties — a statement of mistrust from the Republican-controlled Congress, which remains unsettled by Trump’s warm words for President Vladimir Putin.
In his statement, Trump said: “The Framers of our Constitution put foreign affairs in the hands of the President. This bill will prove the wisdom of that choice.”
In a searing rebuttal, Republican Senator John McCain said: “The framers of our Constitution made the Congress and the President coequal branches of government. This bill has already proven the wisdom of that choice.”
“I hope the president will be as vocal about Russia’s aggressive behaviour as he was about his concerns with this legislation.”