US draws up new Russia sanctions list

WASHINGTON: Under pressure from Republicans and Democrats, the Trump administration on Thursday turned over to Congress a list of Russia-connected entities it will use to determine new sanctions meant to rebuke Russia for actions in Eastern Europe, Syria and the 2016 United States presidential election.

Administration officials made clear to lawmakers that they intended to impose sanctions on individuals in the United States and elsewhere who did “significant” business with the Russian entities, sending an early warning that such deals must soon end.

The list appeared to be an attempt to mollify critics — including senators John McCain and Benjamin Cardin — who said that the administration had not moved quickly enough to punish a key American adversary, using legislation passed by Congress in July and signed by President Donald Trump in August. That legislation required that the administration produce the list of entities by Oct 1.

Administration officials said the list, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, was not itself an imposition of sanctions, but rather the government’s assessment of organisations or persons “that are part of, or operating for or on behalf of, the defence or intelligence sectors of the government of the Russian Federation”.

Under the law, persons who “knowingly engage in a significant transaction” with these entities could be subjected to sanctions as soon as Jan 29. Officials said they intended to work with individuals and the United States’ allies to help them avoid sanctionable activity.

The list reads like a who’s who of the Russian defence and intelligence sectors. It includes the United Aircraft Corp, which makes Sukhoi jets and Tupolev passenger airliners; Kalashnikov Concern, which makes the famed assault weapon used around the world; and Rosoboronexport, the chief state-owned arms exporter in the country.

Democrats and several powerful Senate Republicans, led by Mr McCain and Mr Cardin, had grown frustrated over the delay in recent days. Mr McCain, a fierce critic of Russia, threatened to use his position as the chairman of the Armed Services Committee to try to force the Trump administration to comply.

“We passed the law. They should execute it,” Senator Marco Rubio said earlier on Thursday, before the list was shared with lawmakers. “They say they are struggling to identify the companies to sanction. My answer is, sanction the ones you already know and keep adding to the list.”

The administration answered those criticisms with assurances that it was working to draw up a list of targets, but that with minimal staff in place in the State Department and given the complexity of the legislation, it was taking longer than the law allowed for.

A State Department spokeswoman said on Thursday the department was notifying American companies and foreign allies before it would officially release the list.

“It’s complicated and industry needs to know what will happen if they engage in certain activities,” she said.

Mr McCain and Mr Cardin said the “administration’s announcement is a step in the right direction”.

“By issuing guidance for the implementation of the sanctions legislation, the administration is slowly but surely carrying out the law that Congress passed overwhelmingly this summer,” the statement said, adding: “Congress will continue to conduct oversight of each step to ensure the administration is following both the letter and the spirit of the law.”