On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that they would be imposing sanctions on Russia in retaliation for its use of nerve agent in Britain last March in an attempted assassination. The move came at the instigation of Congress. Two weeks after the attack occurred, President Trump signed a statement with the leaders of France, Germany, and Britain that blamed Russia for the attack.
As a consequence of that statement, The Washington Post notes, “Rep. Edward R. Royce (R-Calif.) chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a letter sent to Trump shortly after the Skripal attack, said he was encouraged by the joint statement Trump signed with allies. But he also reminded the administration of the 1991 legislation and asked for an official determination of whether Russia had violated it.”
In a helpful Twitter thread, CNN national security correspondent Jim Sciutto emphasized that the Trump administration’s hand had been forced.
To be clear on today's Trump admin sanctions on #Russia for #Skripal poisoning:
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 8, 2018
- They are mandated under the 1991 Chemical & Biological Weapons Control & Warfare Elimination Act for chemical weapons use.
- WH blew past the law's 60-day deadline by a month.
1/
2/The law mandates a second, more Draconian round of sanctions unless:
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 8, 2018
-Russia assures the US it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons
-Russia allows onsite inspectors to ensure the government is not using chem/bio weapons
3/ That second round could include:
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 8, 2018
- Ending flights to US by Russian national carrier Aeroflot
- Banning all/most Russian imports/exports with US
- cutting off diplomatic relations
4/Russia now has 90 days to comply.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 8, 2018
**90 days from today is Election Day**
5/ Since virtually no one expects Russia to comply with the law's conditions, in 90 days, the Trump administration will face a very big test of its Russia policy.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 8, 2018
Given this analysis, we’ll see the true shape of Trump’s Russia policy in three months.