Russia and Putin · First term · № 39
Held back Russia sanctions that Nikki Haley had announced on television
“Yes, we'll do sanctions. As soon as they very much deserve it, we will have—that is a question. There has been nobody tougher on Russia than President Donald Trump.”
- Said
- , News conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Palm Beach, Florida
- Subject
- Haley sanctions reversal
- Type
- Sanctions and pressure
- Topic
- Foreign policy
- Era
- First term
What happened
On April 15, 2018, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said on CBS's Face the Nation that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would announce new sanctions the next day on companies dealing in equipment related to Syria's chemical weapons. No sanctions were announced. CNN reported, citing administration officials, that Trump decided not to go forward, and Russia's foreign ministry said the United States had informed its embassy that there would be no new sanctions for now. Economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Haley 'got ahead of the curve' and that there 'might have been some momentary confusion'; Haley replied, 'With all due respect, I don't get confused', and Kudlow apologized, saying 'the policy was changed and she wasn't told about it'. Asked on April 18 why he had delayed the sanctions, Trump said they would come when Russia deserved them. On April 6, Treasury had sanctioned seven Russian oligarchs, 12 companies and 17 officials.
Sources
- The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan in Palm Beach, Florida
- Trump decided to abandon plans for more Russia sanctions
- Russia: White House Says No New Sanctions For Now
- Spat over Haley 'confusion' raises questions about Trump foreign policy
- Treasury Designates Russian Oligarchs, Officials, and Entities in Response to Worldwide Malign Activity