The U.S. House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill imposing fresh sanctions on Russia, in what one Russian official has called a new phase of confrontation between the two countries.
“The bill on new sanctions has been passed. Trump will sign it, confirming he is a hostage of Congress and anti-Russian hysteria,” Alexei Pushkov, the former head of the State Duma international affairs committee, now a senator, said on Twitter. “This is a new phase in the confrontation.”
The bill expands sanctions on Russian businesses in response to Moscow's alleged meddling in U.S. presidential elections in 2016. It also codifies existing sanctions introduced in retaliation of Russia’s meddling in Ukraine, making them harder to lift.
Following the vote, Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House on, labeled Russia “one of the most dangerous adversaries” of the United States.
“The multitude of threats to our national security by Iran, Russia and North Korea cannot be understated," he said on Twitter. "These bad actors have long sought to undermine the United States and disrupt global stability. Our job in Congress is to hold them accountable. The bill we just passed… tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries."
The bill still has to pass through the U.S. Senate. After that, it can also still be vetoed by President Donald Trump, whose administration has been embroiled in allegations of collusion with Russia since moving into the White House.
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