Kremlin orders reduction in number of American diplomats, closes down retreat

The U.S. Senate is sending a package of stiff financial sanctions against Russia to President Donald Trump to sign after the bill received overwhelming support in Congress. Moscow has already responded, ordering a reduction in the number of U.S. diplomats in Russia and closing the U.S. embassy’s recreation retreat.

Mr. Trump’s likelihood of supporting the measure is a remarkable concession that the President has yet to sell his party on his hopes for forging a warmer relationship with Moscow. Mr. Trump’s vow to extend a hand of cooperation to Russian President Vladimir Putin has been met with resistance as sceptical lawmakers look to limit the executive power’s leeway to go easy on Moscow over its meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The Senate passed the bill, 98-2, two days after the House pushed the measure through by an overwhelming margin, 419-3. Both are veto proof numbers as the White House has wavered on whether the President would sign the measure into law.

Never in doubt, however, was a cornerstone of the legislation that bars Mr. Trump from easing or waiving the additional penalties on Russia unless Congress agrees. The provisions were included to assuage concerns among lawmakers that the President’s push for better relations with Moscow might lead him to relax the penalties without first securing concessions from the Kremlin.

The legislation is aimed at punishing Moscow for interfering in the 2016 presidential election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed President Bashar Assad. It also imposes financial sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

Long overdue: McCain

Sen. John McCain said the bill’s passage was long overdue, a jab at Mr. Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress. Mr. McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has called Mr. Putin a murderer and a thug.

“Over the last eight months what price has Russia paid for attacking our elections?” McCain asked. “Very little”.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday said it is ordering the U.S. Embassy in Russia to reduce the number of its diplomats by September 1.

Russia will also close down the embassy’s recreational retreat on the outskirts of Moscow as well as warehouse facilities. Meanwhile, some European countries expressed concerns that the measures targeting Russia’s energy sector would harm its businesses involved in piping Russian natural gas. Germany’s foreign minister said his country wouldn’t accept the U.S. sanctions against Russia being applied to European companies.

A spokesman for the European Commission said Friday that European officials will be watching the U.S. effort closely, vowing to “remain vigilant”.

Trump frustrated

Mr. Trump had privately expressed frustration over Congress’ ability to limit or override the power of the President on national security matters, according to Trump administration officials and advisers. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House deliberations.

But faced with heavy bipartisan support for the bill in the House and Senate, the President has little choice but to sign the bill into law. Mr. Trump’s Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci, suggested earlier on Thursday on CNN that Mr. Trump might veto the bill and “negotiate an even tougher deal against the Russians”.

Sen. Bob Corker said that would be a serious mistake and called Mr. Scaramucci’s remark an “off-handed comment”. If Mr. Trump rejected the bill, Sen. Corker said, Congress would overrule him. “I cannot imagine anybody is seriously thinking about vetoing this bill,” said Sen. Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.