According to a senior Trump administration official, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that envisages new sanctions on Russia over the alleged nerve agent attack in Salisbury in 2018.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated it wasn’t surprised by the new sanctions Washington imposed on Moscow over the Skripal case, adding that Russia regrets that Washington is sacrificing ties between the two countries because of this issue.
The US administration previously confirmed the reports about the White House’s decision.
“After the first round of sanctions in response to Russia’s use of ‘Novichok’ in an assassination attempt against a private citizen in the United Kingdom, Russia did not provide the assurances required under US law so we are imposing the second round of sanctions”, the official said.
In March 2018, former Russian intel officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping centre in Salisbury, UK.
Before an investigation into the incident had even been launched, the British authorities immediately claimed they had been subjected to poisoning by a military-grade nerve agent known as “Novichok” and that Moscow was “highly likely” behind the assault.
The UK, the US, and some of their allies introduced sanctions against Moscow and expelled dozens of Russian diplomats from their respective countries.
Later, the Porton Down laboratory, located near the site of the incident, was unable to confirm that the substance used in the attack was produced in Russia. Moscow, in turn, stressed it has never created, stored, or used toxic chemicals known under the name Novichok, calling the media claims about this “a hoax”.
Russia also stated that the British authorities had rejected Moscow’s offer to help with the investigation. London also refused to publish any evidence, or provide access to the Skripals, who are hidden in an unknown location.