Trump ‘approves of and intends to sign’ bill that will let Congress block the president from easing the penalties on Moscow, says press secretaryDonald Trump intends to sign a bill that imposes new sanctions on Russia and bars him from easing the penalties, the White House said Friday night. Russia cuts US diplomatic presence in retaliation for sanctions Read moreThe bill, which also includes new sanctions against Iran and North Korea, was passed by overwhelming majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate this week, but faced opposition from the Trump administration. The White House objected to a provision that barred him from lifting or suspending the sanctions without congressional approval. “President Donald J Trump read early drafts of the bill and negotiated regarding critical elements of it,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. On 30 December, then-president Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the country and seized two Russian diplomatic compounds.

Source: The Guardian July 29, 2017 01:57 UTC