RPT - REVIEW: Trump Administration Slaps New Sanctions On Russia, Promises More To Come

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2018) The Trump administration announced on Tuesday it will impose new sanctions against Russia related to the countrys alleged cyber intrusions, and warned it will introduce more sanctions against Russia for its alleged role in the Salisbury chemical attack and its use of what the US government calls North Korean slave labor.

In addition, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called on allies in the European Union to take stronger actions against Russia, which the United States is working to foster as well.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov responded on Tuesday by saying Moscow does not see any evidence or justification for new US sanctions against Russia.

US DESIGNATES TWO RUSSIANS, TWO ENTITIES

The United States sanctioned on Tuesday two Russian individuals and two entities involved in Russian attempts to dodge other sanctions, the Department of Treasury said in a press release.

"Today, the US Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is targeting Russian actors efforts to circumvent US sanctions," the release said.

The Treasury Department designated two entities - Vela-Marine Ltd, based in Saint Petersburg and Lacno S.R.O. in Slovakia - along with two individuals, Marina Igorevna Tsareva and Anton Aleksandrovich Nagibin.

The entities and individuals helped Divetechnoservices, a Russian entity that was previously designated for procuring underwater equipment and diving systems for Russian government agencies including the Federal Security Service, the Treasury said.

US SANCTIONS RUSSIA-FLAGGED SHIPS

The United States imposed new sanctions on two Russian entities and six Russia-flagged vessels accused of facilitating the illegal transfer of petroleum products to North Korea, the Treasury Department said in a release.

"Todays action against two entities and six vessels was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13810 of September 20, 2017, and targets persons involved in the ship-to-ship transfer of refined petroleum products with North Korea-flagged vessels, an activity expressly prohibited by the UN Security Council," the release said.

The Treasury Department designated two Russia-based shipping companies - Primorye Maritime Logistics Co Ltd. and Gudzon Shipping Co. LCC - along with the registered ship owners and managers of Russia-flagged merchant vessel Patriot, the release said.

The other five Russia-flagged vessels that were targeted include Neptun, Bella, Bogatyr, Partizan and Sevastopol, the release noted.

These Russian individuals and entities took part in the ship-to-ship transfer of refined petroleum products with sanctioned North Korean vessels, the release explained.

WASHINGTON PREPARED TO IMPOSE MORE SANCTIONS

The United States may announce new sanctions against Russia related to the chemical attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, England, and over the issue of North Korean laborers still working in Russia, Assistant Treasury Secretary of Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea said during his testimony to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.

"The sanctions in response to the use of the nerve agent in the United Kingdom, those have been imposed. They were actually imposed under a State Department authority... We were in close consultation with the State Department in the run up to that," Billingslea said. "Depending on how Russia reacts, there is a menu of additional follow-on options that range in potential severity which we are in continuing close discussion on as well."

In early August, the Trump administration announced a new round of sanctions against Russia, which would be imposed in two phases, because of its alleged use of chemical weapons in the poisoning of the Skripals.

The US State Department said Russia could avoid the second round of sanctions by assuring it would not use chemical weapons in the future and meeting a certain criteria that includes allowing international observers into the country to conduct intrusive chemical weapons inspections.

The United Kingdom and its allies have accused Moscow of having orchestrated the attack with what UK experts claim was the A234 nerve agent. However, Russian authorities have strongly refuted the allegations as groundless and presented without presenting any proof.

The United States is also mauling on the idea of imposing new sanctions against Russia for its use of North Korean slave laborers.

Asked whether the Treasury Department is considering additional sanctions against Russia because of their use of North Korean labor Billingslea said, "We continue to press together with the Department of State Russia to abide by UN Security Council resolutions which call for the wind up of the labor licenses and the return of those workers out of Russia and we are concerned about the slow roll in connection with that. Also, we are the extremely concerned about other evasion behaviors."

UNITED KINGDOM URGES GLOBAL SANCTIONS EFFORT

UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a speech at the US Institute of Peace on Tuesday urged the European Union to make sure its sanctions against Russia are comprehensive and show unity between the bloc and the United States.

"Today, the United Kingdom asks its allies to go further by calling on the European Union to ensure its sanctions against Russia are comprehensive and that we truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States," Hunt said. "This means calling out and responding to transgressions with one voice wherever and whenever they occur, from the streets of Salisbury to the heart of Crimea."

Russian foreign policy has made the world a more dangerous place, and the only way to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggressive and malign behavior is to maintain a strong alliance between countries that share the same values, Hunt added.

Billingslea said during his Senate testimony on Tuesday that the United States is working to support Hunts call to encourage the European Union to impose more sanctions in response to adverse actions taken by Russia.