A bipartisan Russian sanctions bill that would also target countries still doing certain business with Moscow may hurt Russia in the short term but also could further damage U.S. trade talks with China, said Nicholas Burns, U.S. ambassador to China during the Biden administration. And while Burns said he’s glad the Trump administration has maintained sanctions against Chinese companies for selling sensitive microelectronics to Russia, he said the U.S. likely will never be able to convince China to stop supporting Russia’s defense industrial base.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., June 2 to “immediately” schedule a vote on a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill.
The EU is preparing another package of Russia sanctions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on LinkedIn, including a measure that could lower the price cap on Russian oil from its current level of $60. The sanctions would specifically target "Russia's energy revenues, including Nord Stream infrastructure, Russia's banking sector" and would involve "lowering the crude oil price cap," the commission said.
Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and David McCormick, R-Pa., have introduced a bill that would require the executive branch to develop a strategy to counter deepening cooperation among U.S. "adversaries" in such areas as sanctions evasion and the sharing of restricted dual-use technology, the lawmakers announced May 27.
President Donald Trump this week said he hasn't yet decided to impose new sanctions against Russia because he believes it could still hurt the possibility of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The U.K. on May 28 corrected seven entries on its Russia sanctions regime, including one person and six entities. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation corrected the listing for Igor Bystrov, deputy director of MT-Systems and owner of Semirtek DOO, and six Russian and Chinese defense companies. The companies are Atoma LLC, MT-Systems, Pioneer Trade, Shanghai New Chess Co., Shanghai New Chess International Logistics Co. and LLC Responsibility "Market Special Depository."
The Democratic leaders of two key House committees said this week they’re “deeply concerned” about the Bureau of Industry and Security potentially pivoting away from traditional export control dialogues with allies and asked BIS to respond to oversight questions before the end of next week.
The U.K. recently removed or amended entries from its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida, Zimbabwe, and Russia sanctions regimes.
The Treasury Department issued a new general license last week that it said gives “immediate” sanctions relief to Syria, “effectively lifting sanctions” on the country in the aftermath of last year’s fall of the Bashar Assad regime.
A bill that would sanction Russia and its supporters if Moscow rejects peace talks with Ukraine had gained the support of about 80 senators, or four-fifths of the Senate, as of May 22.