US belatedly compiles list of off-limits Putin's pawns
27 Oct 2017 10:59 PM IST
WASHINGTON: The US has given Congress a list of Russian officials who may soon be off-limits to anyone who wants to avoid US sanctions, as criticism mounted over the administration's tardy execution of new penalties on Moscow.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO chief and adviser to Ukraine's leader, said Russian President Vladimir Putin "must be laughing right now" at how successfully he's undermined Western democracy. He said the lack of answers from the Trump administration would be seen as a sign of weakness that Putin would exploit.
"He's achieved much more than he could have ever dreamed of when it comes to undermining the credibility of Western democratic institutions," Rasmussen said. "When he's watching the ongoing discussion, I think it's unbelievable for him that he could achieve that much for a very modest investment in whatever he might have invested in interference in the election."
Although the list has not yet been made public, it's expected to be released more broadly in the coming days, giving businesses and nations a chance to wind down transactions with the off-limits individuals and entities. A three-month grace period will expire on Jan. 28, Nauert said.
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