WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has given Congress a list of Russian officials who may soon become off-limits to anyone who wants to avoid U.S. sanctions, as criticism mounted over the administration’s tardy execution of new penalties on Moscow. He said the lack of answers from the Trump administration would be seen as a sign of weakness that Putin would exploit. A law Trump signed in August requires the administration to produce a list of individuals linked to Russia’s defence and intelligence agencies. With pressure building, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson approved the belated list and authorized its release, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. Many of the Russian officials have previously been targeted by U.S. sanctions, said individuals familiar with the list given to Congress.

Source: National Post October 27, 2017 08:24 UTC