US in new unilateral sanctions

THE US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to impose tough new sanctions on Iran, North Korea and Russia, a move that will antagonise the Kremlin as well as European nations fearing economic ramifications.

The measure notably constrains President Donald Trump’s ability to waive the penalties.

The measure now heads to the Senate, where there is support for sanctions but debate about whether to include penalties on North Korea.

The legislation is the result of a congressional compromise reached last weekend and is aimed at punishing the Kremlin for meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

But the bill could end up penalising European firms that contribute to the development of Russia’s energy sector.

New sanctions against Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and North Korea are also included in the bill.

The Kremlin warned that fresh sanctions on Russia would adversely affect both sides.

From Paris to Berlin, the sanctions bill was seen as a unilateral action by Washington that disrupts a carefully crafted order. To date, sanctions against Moscow have been coordinated on both sides of the Atlantic, to maintain a united front.

European Union member states were due to discuss the issue and respond. Several European nations, including Germany, are livid because the new law would allow punishing companies working on pipelines from Russia, for example by limiting their access to US banks.

The provision could theoretically pave the way for sanctions against European partners in Nord Stream 2, a project to build a pipeline carrying Russian gas across the Baltic that could boost supplies to Germany from 2019. — AFP