US mulling more Russia sanctions: officials
The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering additional sanctions against Russia in an apparent effort to appear tough on Moscow amid allegations of collusion with the Kremlin in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, officials say.
Washington has set up a task force to deal with what it claims to be Moscow’s attempt to intervene in the upcoming midterm elections, AFP cited US officials as saying.
"We are doing an awful lot of work, we are taking this very seriously, it is a national security issue," said one official in response to criticism that the president has not fully implemented Congressionally mandated sanctions.
The president and his associates have been under increased pressure since Friday, when special counsel Robert Mueller released an indictment in the ongoing Russia probe.
As a result, the White House is trying to highlight Trump’s resolve in taking on Russia, particularly as the November midterms are approaching.
To do so, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tacitly cited alleged deaths of Russia-backed forces in Syria during her Wednesday briefing.
“He has done a number of things to put pressure on Russia and to be tough on Russia. Just last week, there was an incident that will be reported in the coming days, and another way that this president was tough on Russia,” she told reporters.
According to Bloomberg, she was referring to the deaths of “scores” of Russians in a February 7 battle with US-backed forces.
On February 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the US not to “play with fire” in Syria.
Mueller’s investigation seeks to find out whether the Russian government coordinated with Trump’s aides after the intelligence community’s conclusion that the Kremlin helped with the New York billionaire’s campaign effort ahead of winning the White House, an allegation dismissed both by Moscow and the president.
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