Thursday, February 2, 2017

BREAKING US Treasury Amendeds Obama's Sanctions Order Against Russia

The US Treasury just announced a new exception to Obama sanctions on Russia's FSB for the transfer of some tech to/from Russia.


UPDATE 


The implications of the move were not immediately clear, but the U.S. has taken similar steps in the past to help businesses avoid unintended consequences on cross-border transactions.

The White House said the move was routine and not a change in policy or easing of the sanctions. A source familiar with the sanctions told NBC News that the change was a technical fix that was planned under Obama.

Spicer also disputed the notion that it marked a shift in policy toward Russia: "No it doesn't. From what I understand, it is a regular course of action," Spicer said.

"Our understanding is that this is not the start of sanctions easing," said Ian Bremmer, a widely respected political scientist and president of consulting firm Eurasia Group. "It's a rule change clearing up a problem with the sanctions regime that prevented U.S. exporters of non-sanctioned electronic devices from complying with both U.S. and Russian law. The problem was identified by the Obama administration, and this appears to be the response to address it."

---

Democrats are signaling they believe it is more than a routine technical adjustment.

No comments:

Post a Comment