US Slaps New Sanctions on Russia Over Ex-Russian Spy Poisoning in Britain | WPN World People News

The United States is imposing tough new sanctions on Russia after determining Moscow was responsible for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain in March.

The State Department says Russia broke international law when it used a lethal nerve agent against its own nationals.

A policeman found Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia slumped over on a bench and unconscious in the British city of Salisbury. It was determined that they were sickened by Novichok - a Soviet-era military-grade nerve agent. Both survived but spent weeks in the hospital.

The sanctions announced Wednesday are set to take effect on August 22. They generally affect U.S. licenses for exporting sensitive national security goods to Russia, such as electronics.

A senior State Department official said Wednesday that Russia could face another round of "more Draconian" sanctions within 90 days unless it provides "reliable assurances" it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons.

Despite President Donald Trump’s mantra that "no one has been tougher on Russia" than his administration, the sanctions announced Wednesday are mandatory. They were triggered by a 1991 Congressional law, the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act.

Source: Voice of America