Donald Trump says Russia Bill seriously flawed'

Washington: Under mounting domestic pressure, President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law a legislation that imposes tough sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea and limits his ability to lift the curbs unilaterally.

The signing of the Bill put to rest questions about whether Mr Trump would support the legislation passed overwhelmingly by Congress last week while he still excoriated the measure as “significantly flawed.”

Mr Trump said the Bill was seriously flawed – particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch’s authority to negotiate. “Congress could not even negotiate a healthcare Bill after seven years of talking. By limiting the Executive’s flexibility, this Bill makes it harder for the US to strike good deals for the American people, and will drive China, Russia, and North Korea much closer together,” he argued.

Yet despite its problems, Mr Trump said he is signing the Bill for the sake of national unity. “It represents the will of the American people to see Russia take steps to improve relations with the United States. We hope there will be cooperation between our two countries on major global issues so that these sanctions will no longer be necessary,” he said.

The sanctions targets the Russian energy sector, giving the US the ability to sanction companies involved in developing Russian pipelines, and placing curbs on some Russian weapons exporters. The sanctions seek to penalise the Kremlin for meddling in the 2016 US presidential election — which Mr Trump won — and Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

In his signing statement, Mr Trump alleged that in its haste to pass this legislation, the Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions.

The Bill prescribes a review period that precludes the President from taking certain actions, Mr Trump asserted.