U.S. adds new Russia sanctions
WASHINGTON — The Trumpadministration added sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.
The Treasury Department announced two new actions against Russian targets: blacklisting two companiesand two individuals suspected of trying to circumvent U.S. sanctions imposed in June in response to cyberattacks; and against two Russian shipping companies for transferring petroleum to North Korean vessels in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
President Donald Trump has sought closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but his administration has intensified pressure on Moscow over what it calls “malign Russian activity.”
Officials from the State and Treasury departments told two Senate hearings Tuesday that since January 2017, 217 Russian business people, officials, and companies have been sanctioned. In addition, they recalled that the administration expelled 60 Russian spies and closed two consulates.
Marshall Billingslea, Treasury Department terrorist financing official, acknowledged Russia’s threat, but told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that without the sanctions “their behavior would be even further off the charts.”
He and the State Department’s top diplomat for Europe, Wess Mitchell, said Russia’s economy has been hit for tens of billions of dollars, with companies under sanctions losing a quarter of their operating revenues.
But officials faced questions from skeptical lawmakersabout the administration’s policy toward Russia, particularly since Mr. Trump has sentconflicting messages. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., called Mr. Trump’s comments “undisciplined.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said it appeared as though the administration were pursuing two different policies: one of the president’s and one of federal national securityagencies.
Mr. Mitchell denied that. “This is the president’s administration, this is his foreign policy.” Although Mr. Trump himself has repeatedly cast doubt on Russia’s culpability in 2016 election meddling, Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Billingslea both pointed to the Kremlin and Mr. Putin as the source.
“Putin wants to break apart the American republic, not by influencing an election or two, but by systematically inflaming the perceived fault-lines that exist within our society,” Mr. Mitchell said. “His is a strategy of chaos for strategic effect.”
Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, faced similar skepticism in a hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.
“It seems to many of us that our efforts are not effective enough,” Sen. Tim Scott, RS.C. told her. “There’s so little wecan show for our efforts.”
“I’m not convinced Treasury is doing everything possible to hold Putin accountable,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. “It’s not hard to see why Putin thinks he can interfere in our elections and get away with it.’