Turner’s bipartisan bill would slap new sanctions on Russia

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) on April 5 unveiled a bipartisan bill stipulating that the Russian government has violated international law by using a nerve agent to poison people last month on British soil and calls for imposing sanctions to deter future attacks.

The Stand with UK Against Russian Violations Act, H.R. 5428, would authorize the president to enforce sanctions against individuals who “knowingly engaged in, provided material support to (or) worked on behalf of” the Russian government to carry out the Novichok poison attack on Sergei Skripal, 66, a convicted former M16 double agent, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia Skripal, in Salisbury, England on March 4.

Rep. Turner, chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces and chairman of the U.S. Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly, as well as a member of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, was joined by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) in introducing H.R. 5428.

H.R. 5428 also would target Russian financial institutions with sanctions. Within 90 days of the bill’s enactment, the U.S. president would be authorized to “issue regulations prohibiting United States persons from engaging in transactions with, providing financing for, or in any other way dealing in Russian sovereign debt that is issued on or after the date that is 180 days after such date of imposition of sanctions,” according to text of the bill in the congressional record.

In a joint statement released on April 6, Reps. Turner and Castro said the poison attacks demonstrate Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “growing aggression and disregard for international standards of conduct.”

“That’s why we introduced the bipartisan Stand with UK Against Russia Violations Act, which reinforces U.S. commitment to the United Kingdom and NATO by sanctioning those responsible for the Salisbury attack and seeks to deter anyone who will commit similar attacks in the future on behalf of the Russian government,” the lawmakers said.

Reps. Turner and Castro said H.R. 5428 “also targets Russian financial institutions until Putin ceases its practice of assassinating expatriates and dissidents outside of Russia.”

The lawmakers contend that it’s time to send Russia “a clear, bipartisan message that the United States stands with our allies and will not tolerate such illegal actions.”

H.R. 5428 was introduced the same day the Trump administration imposed sanctions against seven Russian oligarchs and 12 Russian companies for their involvement related to the March 4 attack. In announcing the sanctions, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, “The Russian government engages in a range of malign activities around the globe.”

Yulia Skripal left the Salisbury District Hospital earlier this week, but will continue to undergo treatment, the hospital’s medical director said during a press conference on April 3, while her father remains there.

Sergei Skripal is a former Russian military intelligence officer who was convicted in Russia of spying for Britain. Following his imprisonment in Russia, Sergei Skripal eventually settled in England after a spy swap.

H.R. 5428 has been referred to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and the U.S. House Financial Services Committee for consideration.