“The Treasury Department is disrupting Russian efforts to circumvent our sanctions,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday. Photo: jason lee/ReutersWASHINGTON—The Trump administration on Tuesday levied new sanctions against Russian firms it accused of violating trade bans on North Korea and breaches of U.S. laws against cooperation with Russia’s intelligence services. Combined, the actions underscore a recent escalation in U.S. economic pressure against Moscow as Congress seeks to impose new sanctions against Russia and the administration tries to show lawmakers it is committed to punishing the Kremlin for U.S. election interference and other acts Washington says undermine U.S. foreign policy.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 21, 2018 14:05 UTC