Reps. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, and Mike Turner, R-Ohio, introduced a bill Friday that would punish Russia further for the chemical attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal on U.K. soil last month.
The Stand with U.K. against Russia Violations Act would impose more sanctions on those involved with the nerve agent attack against Skripal and his daughter Yulia, which the West believes was approved by Russia.
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“The Russian government-sanctioned attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal and Officer Nick Bailey last month on British soil violated international law and indicates Putin’s growing aggression and disregard for international standards of conduct. It’s imperative that the United States stands with the United Kingdom and our international partners in signaling resolve with a strong response,” the two members of the House Intelligence Committee said in a joint statement Friday.
The bill says that “Russian aggression must be met with strength and resolve, including through sanctions to deter future Russian attacks on dissidents, expatriates, and democratic activists.”
The bill allows President Trump to impose sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which passed last year, against any Russian known to be involved in the assassination attempt. It also prohibits any U.S. person from engaging in transactions related to new Russian sovereign debt.
The Russian government still maintains that the Kremlin had nothing to do with the attack.
