Full package: the United States imposed new sanctions against Russia

The US State Department officially confirmed the introduction of the second package of sanctions against Russia in the case of Skripale.

“Today, in accordance with the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control Act and the prohibition of its combat use of 1991 (CBW), the United States announces a second package of sanctions against Russia for using the Novice nerve agent when trying to kill Sergei Violin and his daughter Julia Skripal in the United Kingdom (Great Britain) on March 4, 2018, ”reads the published document.

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Speaking of the incident, the State Department claims that "these actions put thousands of lives in Salisbury and Amesbury at risk and led to the hospitalization of Skripale, a British policeman and two civilians, one of whom later died."

The document prepared by the US Department lists three areas in which restrictions will be imposed against Russia.

Thus, the United States will oppose the extension of loans, as well as financial or technical assistance to Russia by international financial institutions, such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.

The next paragraph states that US banks will be prohibited from participating in the primary market for non-ruble bonds of Russian sovereign debt and providing non-ruble loans to the Russian government.

The final part states that the restrictions will also affect the licenses to export a number of goods and technologies, the turnover of which is controlled by the US Ministry of Trade. Earlier in the State Department clarified that this paragraph deals only with materials related to weapons of mass destruction.

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"The issuance of licenses for the export of these materials to Russian companies owned or financed by the state will be considered on the basis of the presumption of refusal," the department said.

The State Department expressed the opinion that the measures from the second package of sanctions in the case of Skripale are capable of "limiting Russia's access to billions of dollars in the framework of bilateral commercial activities with the United States."

As the department said, in order to lift the sanctions, Moscow should “provide reliable guarantees that it is not preparing to use chemical weapons” and does not plan to use such weapons in the future. In addition, to lift the sanctions, the State Department pointed out the need for access by "international inspectors" who can verify compliance with the requirements for chemical weapons. In addition to this, in the United States they demanded that Russia pay compensation to the Violinists.

No evidence

Recall the incident in Salisbury in March 2018. Then the ex-Colonel of the GRU Sergey Skrypal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious near the house in the British city of Salisbury. Britain accused Russia of poisoning Skripale, later the United States and a number of other countries supported this position.

For Washington, the incident was the occasion to introduce another package of sanctions against Russia in August 2018. The new list of restrictive measures was a continuation of this decision.

However, evidence of the involvement of the Russian Federation in the events in Salisbury was never presented, Russian specialists were not allowed to be investigated, and diplomats are not allowed to see the victims.

This circumstance was noticed in the Russian embassy in the USA and published a corresponding statement.

“We haven’t been given any evidence of Russian involvement in what happened in Salisbury, and the British side is still refusing to cooperate with Russia in investigating the incident,” the embassy said.

Diplomats noted that "instead, Washington decided to assign to itself the functions of a super-police and supreme arbitrator, who is given the right to appoint those responsible and apply reprisals to them."

The embassy concluded that the United States "once again showed the world devil-may-care attitude to such fundamental principles of a law-based state as the presumption of innocence and the need to bear the burden of proving the charges."

Anton Morozov, a member of the State Duma’s international affairs committee, adheres to the view that the United States is engaged in restricting competition from Russia.

“The Americans in this case act out of their own interests to limit competition in this field with Russian financial institutions. Obviously, no convincing evidence of the involvement of Russia and Russian citizens in the incident in Salisbury has been provided to the world community, ”Morozov said in an interview with RT.

The parliamentarian believes that, contrary to the assessment of the State Department, the probable damage to Russian-American commercial relations will have a slight effect on the Russian economy.

“Russia is a large, self-sufficient country, in addition to America we have many other trade and economic partners in Asia and the Middle East. Of course, it’s sad that politicians impose restrictions on business and economic development, but I don’t think that this will significantly affect our well-being, ”concluded Morozov.

According to the expert of the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, Vladimir Brutera, the damage will be caused to relations between the two countries.

“All unilateral decisions of this kind affect relations (countries. - RT ) negatively. These, too, will have a negative effect, while the sanctions, of course, cannot be called comprehensive, and they are unlikely to seriously threaten Russia, but the approach itself leads to the fact that relations are degrading further, ”the expert believes.

He did not agree with the assessment of the State Department, but made the fall in the volume of trade between Moscow and Washington.

“Billions (of dollars. - RT ) are unlikely to reduce trade, but they really can reduce it. I think that the United States will not worry about it, Russia too. Russia should be ready for a long time to ensure that the United States can, by means of force decisions, stop the entire trade turnover, ”the expert concluded.