Sanctions

Trump administration declines to impose new sanctions on Russia hours after the Kremlin accused the US of meddling in its election

The Trump administration has indicated it will not seek new sanctions against Russia for its meddling in the 2016 US election, a State Department spokesperson said Monday.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said a bill President Donald Trump signed into law in August that called for a report identifying wealthy Russians linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin was enough to steer away from Russia billions of dollars in defense sales.

Nauert said additional sanctions on specific individuals and groups associated with the Kremlin for Russian interference in the 2016 US election "will not need to be imposed."

Nauert added that the effects of the law targeting Russian defense sales were "beginning to become apparent," without citing specifics. Further details were included in a classified report delivered to Congress, the State Department said.

Trump called the bill "seriously flawed" when he reluctantly signed it into law last summer after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support, including a 98-2 vote in the Senate. Congress had given the Trump administration until January 29 to submit key reports under that law.