Trump signs bill imposing new sanctions on Russia

(Image credit: Aude Guerrucci - Pool/Getty Images)

published 2 August 2017

President Trump signed legislation Wednesday that imposes new sanctions on Russia and curbs his own ability to lighten them down the line, CNN reports. The House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill last week with veto-proof majorities, putting Trump in a tough spot if he had declined to sign.

The sanctions come in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and amid several investigations around alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. "In other words, if Trump signs the bill, he's tacitly admitting that the [cyber] attack is real, despite his previous claims, while simultaneously opening himself up to a response by Russian intelligence," Salon wrote earlier Wednesday.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.