WORLD NEWS FEBRUARY 13, 2019 / 1:47 PM / UPDATED 16 MINUTES AGO

Exclusive: U.S. senators to again try to pass Russia sanctions bill

Patricia Zengerle
3 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican and Democratic senators on Wednesday will introduce a bill seeking to punish Russia for meddling in U.S. elections and for its aggression in Ukraine by imposing sanctions on its banking, energy sector and foreign debt.

The bill will be introduced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Bob Menendez and is a tougher version of the one the two lawmakers backed last year but which failed to pass, Menendez’s office said. The bill has been seen by Reuters.

Among other things, it would impose sanctions on Russian banks that support efforts to interfere in foreign elections, sanction Russian liquefied natural gas projects outside of Russia, sanction the country’s cyber sector, impose sanctions on new sovereign debt and sanction individuals deemed to “facilitate illicit and corrupt activities, directly or indirectly, on behalf of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”

The bill would have to pass Congress and be signed by President Donald Trump before becoming law. Trump has gone along with increasing sanctions on Russia, though sometimes reluctantly.

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