US hits Russia with new sanctions over UK nerve agent

The United States said on Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s involvement in the use of a “lethal” nerve agent in the attempted killing of a former spy in Britain.

The State Department said the sanctions were in response to “the use of a ‘Novichok’ nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate British citizen Sergei Skripal”, who was a double agent, and his daughter Yulia in March.

The action is aimed at punishing President Vladimir Putin’s government for having “used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law”, State Department spokesman Heather Nauert said.

The new sanctions were to take effect following a 15-day congressional notification period.

Another senior State Department official said the administration decided to impose a “presumption of denial” for the sale to Russia of “national security sensitive” US technologies that require federal government approval.

Such technologies have often been used in items, including electronic devices as well as calibration equipment. The exports were previously allowed on a case-by-case basis.

The move could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports to Russia, said the official, who requested anonymity.

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce, who had pushed months ago for Trump to take action over Russia’s use of banned weapons, applauded the move as “key to increasing pressure on Russia”.