Totally UNEXPECTED! The Kremlin has a "highly negative view" of proposed new sanctions.

[Miles Archer]

Congress Reaches Deal on Russia Sanctions, Setting Up Tough Choice for Trump



Now, Mr. Trump could soon face a decision he hoped to avoid: veto the bill — a move that would fuel accusations that he is doing the bidding of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia — or sign legislation imposing sanctions his administration has opposed.

The bill aims to punish Russia not only for interference in the election but also for its annexation of Crimea, continuing military activity in eastern Ukraine and human rights abuses. Proponents of the measure seek to impose sanctions on people involved in human rights abuses, suppliers of weapons to the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and those undermining cybersecurity, among others.

The agreement highlighted the gap between what Mr. Trump sees as the proper approach to a resurgent Russia and how lawmakers — even Republicans who broadly support Mr. Trump — want to proceed. While Mr. Trump has dangled the possibility of negotiating a deal to lift sanctions, Mr. Putin’s top objective, the congressional response is to expand them.

In Moscow, Dmitri S. Peskov, a Putin spokesman, was asked by the government-run news agency RIA to characterize the Kremlin’s view of the sanctions proposal. “Highly negative,” he said, without elaborating.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/22/us/politics/congress-sanctions-russia.html

[WePurrsevere]

1. Well I have a "highly negative view" of the Russian gov...

Interfering and manipulating in our electoral process not to mention hacking into our power grid to see what trouble they can cause.

Most of the people in Russia may be decent enough souls (and I think they have there own ongoing battle for real democracy to fight) but Putin and their gov can go pound salt as far as I'm concerned.

Trump's loves Putin and Russia so I'm sure that he's not going to be happy about it and I have a feeling that he's going to veto the bill... which will make him look even more guilty than he already does.

Hopefully that veto will be overridden.

[underpants]

2. Maybe Donnie Jr cat set up a meeting

[tavernier]

3. Putin overplayed his hand.

Trump certainly is his dummy, but I don't think he will veto. Too much heat in his kitchen at the moment as it is.

[mobeau69]

4. 97-2 with Mike Lee and Rand Paul siding with the Russian presidents.

The orange Russian president's between a rock and a hard place on this one.

[Miles Archer]

5. It would be his own equivalent of Junior's "I LOVE IT!"

I imagine his cadre of attorneys are having night sweat over that potential move as we speak.

[BadGimp]

6. I can't help but think the GOP is playing us all

IF they send this to Trump's desk it could blow up in their faces in ways they are not even ready to deal with.

[JI7]

10. how do you mean ?

[mountain grammy]

7. This will be interesting.

[tritsofme]

8. I wouldn't be surprised if he allows the bill to become law without his signature.

If a president fails to act for 10 days after a bill is passed by Congress, it becomes law.

And then spend a few days whining about how unfair it all is on Twitter...

[JI7]

9. Did anyone see that Interview with Lavrov. he was angry at being asked about the

private meetings at the G20.

[Miles Archer]

12. He is one mean, sarcastic SOB.

Putin's playing it cool, but Lavrov is his Kellyanne Conway. Lavrov wraps his denials arounf sarcasm and "righteous indignation" and in the end does nothing more than prove every suspicion cast in his direction.

[JI7]

11. seems like he would have had a better chance at getting them lifted if Hillary

was President and working with the international community on Syria/Assad and other issues and in turn there would be some easing of sanctions.