The expulsions were part of a coordinated campaign by western allies to punish Russia for the nerve-gas poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter, not for election interference. And many of the sanctions came from legislation passed with veto-proof majorities in Congress and signed reluctantly by the president. But earlier on Tuesday, the Treasury Department did announce a new round of sanctions targeting ships delivering Russian oil to North Korea despite ongoing sanctions and marine companies that are supplying Russia’s military. But senators insisted on a more skeptical path. They questioned the effectiveness of sanctions passed overwhelmingly last year to target Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors and tried to solicit input from the officials on how to proceed.

Source: New York Times August 21, 2018 16:08 UTC