‘Flawed’ Russ. sanctions OK’d

President Trump on Wednesday signed a bill imposing sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea even though he said it is “seriously flawed” and hinders his administration’s ability to negotiate with foreign nations.

“By limiting the Executive’s flexibility, this bill makes it harder for the United States to strike good deals for the American people, and will drive China, Russia and North Korea much closer together,” Trump warned in a written statement issued by the White House.

“As President, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress.

“Yet despite its problems, I am signing this bill for the sake of national unity. It represents the will of the American people to see Russia take steps to improve relations with the United States,” the president said.

The Kremlin said the sanctions will harm its relations with the US but will not change Russian policy.

“Some US officials were saying that this is a bill that might encour- age Russia to cooperate with the United States; to me that’s a strange sort of encouragement,” said Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia.

The lawmakers who crafted the bill “should have known better, that we do not bend, we do not break,” he added.

“It is harming our relations inevitably, but we will be working in the conditions that exist in the hope it will turn one day.”

The sanctions punish Russia for meddling in the 2016 presidential election, for annexing Crimea in 2014 and for its incursions in Ukraine.

Iran and North Korea were included in the sanctions because of their nuclear programs.

Trump had little choice in signing the bill because it reached his desk with a veto-proof majority.

The bill requires the president to notify Congress before making changes to the sanctions.

Lawmakers would then have 30 days to block the president, a dramatic check on the commander in chief ’s power.