UPDATE - New US Sanctions On Russia Unlikely To Be Adopted In Near Future - AmCham Russia

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th March, 2019) The bill on new sanctions against Russia recently introduced by US lawmakers will unlikely be passed in the near future and almost certainly be changed, President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Russia President Alexis Rodzianko told Sputnik on Wednesday.

In February, US senators introduced a bill envisioning sweeping sanctions on Russia's energy and banking sectors, as well as the country's sovereign debt in response to Moscow's alleged efforts to undermine democracy abroad, alleged meddling in the US elections and alleged aggression in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied these accusations.

"As for the sanctions ... [The bill] is being considered in the committee of the upper house [of Congress] and has not yet been put to a vote and then adoption. There is no parallel bill in the lower house yet, so we should not expect it to be adopted soon ... It will almost certainly be edited ... It is unlikely that the bill will be put to a vote in the form in which we see it now," Rodzianko said.

He noted that AmCham participated in the discussion of the bill.

"Yes, we participate with our colleagues, and many of our companies participate separately. Our colleagues in the US-Russia business Council, our main partners in Washington, are also likely to participate," Rodzianko said.

He added that the bill was currently at the preliminary stage of discussion when changes can be proposed.

At the same time, Rodzianko said that the current version of the bill was less bad for the Russian banking sector, as it did not contain a list of specific banks which might be sanctioned, as opposed to the earlier edition that had such a list.

"It seems to me that in terms of the effect of the text, the current version is less frightening.

The very fact of publication of the list acts like sanctions, even when formally they are not present. So when there is no list, there is no such effect," he said.

Rodzianko noted that another batch of sanctions in connection with the Salisbury incident can also be announced soon.

On March 4, 2018, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench near a shopping center in Salisbury. London claimed they were poisoned with a military-grade A234 nerve agent and accused Moscow of staging the attack, provoking a huge international scandal. The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed the claims about Russia's involvement in the attack. The first batch of Russia sanctions by Washington in connection with the poisoning took effect in August.

"In terms of the sanctions declared by the executive branch, there are expectations that something should soon follow on the issue of chemical and biological weapons ... Under the law, the executive branch is obliged to declare the second stage of sanctions within a certain period. We have not heard about the second stage yet, but it can be announced soon," he said.

In 2014, relations between Russia and the West deteriorated over the former's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict and Crimea's reunification with Russia following a referendum. The United States and the European Union have since imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia's energy, banking, defense and other sectors, as well as on a number of Russian officials. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and reacted with countermeasures against the Western nations that targeted it with sanctions.