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they failed to produce their advertised goal: force the Kremlin to change its aggressive ways.
As the year came to an end there was a hiatus as the last round of new “crushing” sanctions, due at the end of last year, were postponed due to the US mid-term elections. This week the US government has picked up the ball again and is revving up to target more oligarchs and leading Russian companies in retribution for interfering in the 2016 elections and Russian aggression in the Sea of Avoz in November.
Five US senators from both parties on Wednesday evening announced that they had submitted a bill called the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act (DASKA). It is intended to increase economic, political and diplomatic pressure on Russia “in response to its interference in democratic processes abroad, its disastrous influence in Syria and aggression against Ukraine, including the incident in the Kerch Strait,” the Senate Foreign Policy Committee said in a press release.
These are the toughest sanctions of all proposed so far, said Republican Lindsay Graham: “Our goal is to change the status quo and introduce significant sanctions and measures against Putin’s Russia. He must stop interfering in the US electoral process, stop cyber attacks on the American infrastructure, withdraw Russia from Ukraine and stop efforts to create chaos in Syria. ”
Western diplomats, especially those in Europe, have been disappointed in particular by the Kremlin’s refusal to release sailors from three Ukrainian naval ships that were arrested during a naval clash between Russian and Ukrainian ships on the Sea of Azov on November 25.
The ruble and equities tanked on February 13 as news broke the US Senate has introduced new sanctions legislation that is due to be heard soon.
Amongst the points mentioned in the bill are sanctions:
· against Russian banks supporting Russian actions to undermine democratic institutions in other countries;
· in relation to investments in Russian LNG projects outside Russia;
· in relation to the Russian cyber industry;
· against the Russian government debt;
· against politicians, oligarchs, family members and other individuals who directly or indirectly contribute to illegal and corrupt activities in the interests of Putin.
Sanctions in response to the Kremlin’s aggression in Ukraine include:
· against 24 FSB agents, who are considered to be participants in the attack in the Kerch Strait, - in response to the arrest of 24 Ukrainian sailors who are now being held in Russia;
· regarding the Russian shipbuilding industry in the event that Russia violates freedom of movement in the Kerch Strait or anywhere else in the world;
· in relation to support the development of oil resources in Russia;
· against state-owned energy projects outside of Russia.
The statement also lists other key provisions of the bill. This is NATO support (it will be possible to leave the alliance only with the support of two thirds of senators) and measures to speed up the transfer of weapons to those NATO countries that depend on Russian weapons.
It is also proposed to create several centres that would help fight with Russia and the opponents of the United States in areas such as hybrid and cyber threats. In particular, the National Information Processing Centre will have to confront disinformation and other threats from Russia to counter hybrid threats. The Department of Cyberspace and Digital Economy in the State Department will coordinate diplomatic efforts to ensure international cyber security, Internet
15 RUSSIA Country Report March 2019 www.intellinews.com