U.S. Congress Approves New Sanctions Against Russia and Military Aid to Ukraine

The United States Congress has approved new economic sanctions against Russia in response to its actions in the Ukraine crisis, which will harm Russian defense and energy industries. American lawmakers simultaneously approved military aid, including the shipment of weapons to the Ukrainian government. However, this law does not obligate President Barack Obama to send arms but allows him to provide military assistance, including anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and reconnaissance-operational drones to Kyiv. According to the French news agency, while the U.S. government supports Ukraine against Russia, Barack Obama has not yet agreed to Ukraine's request for military assistance. Senator Bob Corker, the sponsor of this bill, criticized the U.S. government's delay, describing it as a "slow response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine." The U.S. Department of Defense delivered the first of 20 ordered mortar radar systems to Ukraine in November. The new sanctions bill was passed by a majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The bill will be referred back to the Senate to address some technical points. According to informed sources, the Senate is likely to approve the bill unanimously. The bill will then be presented to the President of the United States for signature. One provision of the draft bill, which designated Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova as America's main allies outside NATO, was not approved. A source close to the Senate added that this provision was removed at the last minute to ensure the final passage of the bill. The French news agency further reported that Washington's new sanctions will harm Russia's defense and energy industries and punish companies such as Rosoboron, a state-owned company involved in the import and export of Russian defense industries. Under this bill, Barack Obama can conditionally sanction Russian state arms companies for selling or transferring weapons to Syria or to groups active in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova without the consent of those governments. The aim of this bill is to eradicate the flow of arms and military aid from Russia to the borders of Ukraine. The U.S. and Ukraine accuse Russia of supporting separatist rebels in the east of the country. This bill also allows Barack Obama to penalize Gazprom, the state gas company of Russia, in the event of a significant cut in gas exports to NATO member countries or to Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. Eliot Engel, a Democratic congressman, stated, "We must loudly and clearly tell Vladimir Putin that we do not accept his blatant violations of international law and will not abandon our friends." The U.S. imposed sanctions on some Russian officials and companies in September. According to experts, these sanctions have harmed the Russian economy and led to a decrease in the value of the ruble against the dollar. The ruble has lost up to forty percent of its value in recent months. In this context, the "most severe" decline in the value of the ruble since 1998 has been noted, along with NATO's warnings regarding Russian military constructions in Crimea. NATO and Kyiv condemned Moscow's actions in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. Russia's gas exports to Ukraine have resumed.