U.S. imposes more sanctions on Russia

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed more sanctions against Russia — this time for helping North Korea evade international sanctions — as Moscow separately was accused anew of cyberattacks in the United States apparently aimed at undermining the midterm election in November.

The Russia sanctions were not related to the latest allegations of election interference but are the newest punitive measures in what has become a large — and apparently ineffective — package of penalties to force Russia to end its alleged violations of international norms and agreements.

They come, however, amid mounting evidence that people or groups associated with the Kremlin are actively hacking U.S. political institutions, national infrastructure such as the electricity grid, and major social media outlets, with an eye toward disrupting the American democratic system.

The action against Russia also was another example of the disconnect between administration action and the president’s words that has flummoxed both parties in Congress. It came as President Donald Trump continued to speak ambivalently about Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. In an interview with Reuters this week, Trump added a caveat, “if it was Russia,” when speaking of that interference, which the entire U.S. intelligence community has concluded was masterminded by Russia’s government.