US to impose sanctions on Russia over Skripal poisoning | Americas| North and South American news impacting on Europe
The US sanctions come in response to Russia using a chemical agent
against an ex-Russian spy. A second round of more "draconian" sanctions
could come if Russia doesn't come clean, the State Department said.
The United States will impose sanctions on Russia for using a "lethal" nerve agent against a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Britain, the State Department said Wednesday.
State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Russia used "a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal" in southern English city of Salisbury in March.
Read more: Sergei Skripal: The former spy poisoned with a nerve agent
The sanctions will target the Russian government for using "chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law" or against its own nationals, Nauert said in a statement.
The new sanctions target sensitive national security and defense goods, a senior State Department official said in a conference call with reporters. However, there would be case-by-case exceptions for space flight activities and commercial aviation, the official said.
The sanctions go into effect on or around August 22.
If Russia is unable to prove within 90 days that it will not use chemical or biological weapons and will allow United Nations inspections, then a second round of "more draconian" sanctions would be imposed, the official said.
The Kremlin has vehemently denied using a Novichok-type nerve agent against the Skripals, who were later released from a British hospital.
Months later after the attack in Salisbury, two residents in another southern English town with no ties to Russia were poisoned by a Novichok-type poison. One of them died. British investigators believe they accidentally came into contact with the poison.
Source
The United States will impose sanctions on Russia for using a "lethal" nerve agent against a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Britain, the State Department said Wednesday.
State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Russia used "a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal" in southern English city of Salisbury in March.
Read more: Sergei Skripal: The former spy poisoned with a nerve agent
The sanctions will target the Russian government for using "chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law" or against its own nationals, Nauert said in a statement.
The new sanctions target sensitive national security and defense goods, a senior State Department official said in a conference call with reporters. However, there would be case-by-case exceptions for space flight activities and commercial aviation, the official said.
The sanctions go into effect on or around August 22.
If Russia is unable to prove within 90 days that it will not use chemical or biological weapons and will allow United Nations inspections, then a second round of "more draconian" sanctions would be imposed, the official said.
The Kremlin has vehemently denied using a Novichok-type nerve agent against the Skripals, who were later released from a British hospital.
Months later after the attack in Salisbury, two residents in another southern English town with no ties to Russia were poisoned by a Novichok-type poison. One of them died. British investigators believe they accidentally came into contact with the poison.
Source