28 Mar 2024
Thursday 27 July 2017 - 12:38
Story Code : 269969

US Senate expected to pass Russia-Iran sanctions bill 'in short order'



Sputnik - The US Senate is expected to pass a bill to slap sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea in "short order," Senator Mark Warner said on Wednesday.




WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The US House ofRepresentativesapproved bya 419-3 voteonTuesday a new version ofa bill that would impose sweeping sanctions onRussia, Iran and North Korea, and limit President Donald Trumps ability tolift the restrictions onMoscow. The measures target Russia's defense, intelligence, mining, shipping and railway industries, and restrict dealings withRussian banks and energy companies. The proposed bill also considers Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project asa threat toUkraine's and the European Union's energy security.

The version ofthe bill passed onTuesday was newly introduced inthe House ofRepresentatives last week.
"I expect this bill will pass the Senate inshort order. At that point, it is incumbent uponPresident [Donald] Trump toimmediately sign this legislation intolaw, or risk endorsing Moscows interference infuture elections," Warner said ina statement.


Warner said the bill "sends a message tothe Kremlin that attacks onour democracy will not be tolerated."

The senator was referring toallegations that Russia interfered inthe 2016 US election, an accusation that the Kremlin strongly denies.

Earlier inthe day, France and Germanyspoke outagainstthe bill asone that adversely affects European industries while advancing US commercial interests.

In April, Gazprom's subsidiary Nord Stream 2 AG signed a deal withFrench Engie, UKs Royal Dutch Shell, Austrias OMV and Germany's Uniper and Wintershall, which agreed toprovide part oflong-term financing ofthe gas pipeline project, estimated at9.5 billion euros ($10.6 billion).

The Nord Stream 2 project presumes the construction oftwo gas pipelines witha combined annual capacity of55 billion cubic meters ofgas. The new pipeline is planned tobe laid alongthe existing Nord Stream pipeline route fromthe Russian coast throughthe Baltic Sea, onto a hub inGermany.

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