Putin Criticizes New US Sanctions; 'Russia's Reaction Depends on Final Version'

Vladimir Putin, following the approval of a new sanctions bill against Russia, Iran, and North Korea by the US Senate, which has been sent to Donald Trump for signature, criticized the sanctions and the atmosphere of 'Russia-phobia' in the US, stating that his government is waiting to see the final version of the bill before responding. The Russian President stated on July 27 in Finland that the actions of the United States are 'unacceptable' and 'against international law,' and that 'Russia's patience and tolerance cannot last forever.' Putin mentioned that Russia 'has not yet seen the final version [of the sanctions bill], and therefore has not yet reached a final conclusion about it.' In response to a journalist's question about whether he regrets Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election, he said, 'This is a matter for the American people.' Nevertheless, the Russian President expressed regret over what he called the emergence of 'Russia-phobia' stemming from a political internal issue in the United States. It seems that Putin's reference is to the accusations against his country regarding interference in the 2016 presidential election in the US, which influenced the inclusion of Russia in the initial sanctions bill against Iran in Congress. In the agreement reached by the senators, the issue of interference is also considered in the imposition and implementation of some sanctions. Moscow has repeatedly denied interfering in US elections. However, currently, committees in Congress, the FBI, and a special counsel are investigating the related accusations and issues raised regarding the 'relationships' of some senior members of Trump's campaign with Russian officials. Donald Trump has denied the accusations against his campaign staff, calling many reports and news on this matter 'fake news' and stating that the aim of their publication is 'political revenge.' Members of the Democratic Party in the US insisted that the Iran sanctions bill should also include sanctions related to Russia and that these should proceed in parallel. The currently approved bill in the House and Senate has been sent to the US presidency for signature. On Wednesday, Sarah Sanders, the White House spokesperson, stated that the government sees the possibility of changes being made to the sanctions bill. She also added that the President and the government support sanctions against Iran, Russia, and North Korea. Several Iranian officials had previously reacted to the new bill, including the President of Iran, who stated that his government would 'react,' and Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, who said that the new US sanctions are 'not a very catastrophic incident; there has been a violation, but it will not have a significant impact on the country.' However, beyond Russia and Iran, the European Union has also reacted, stating that it will respond to this bill in the 'coming days.' These sanctions may disrupt the export of oil and gas from Russia to the European Union.