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| Russian President Putin & U.S. President Trump (Photoshoped) |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law a sanctions bill on Russia, Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), while describing the bill as "seriously flawed."
In a statement released by the White House, Trump said while he favoured tough measures to "punish and deter bad behavior" by Iran and the DPRK and supported making clear to Russia that "America will not to tolerate interference in our democratic process," he criticized the legislation for including "unconstitutional provisions" and being "seriously flawed."
"Still, the bill remains seriously flawed -- particularly because it encroached on the executive branch's authority to negotiate," said Trump.
Unlike previous sanctions bills, the new legislation grants U.S. lawmakers power to block Trump from unilaterally lifting sanctions on Russia.
The bill was approved overwhelmingly early this month by the U.S. Congress despite the Trump administration calling on lawmakers to grant the White House "flexibility" in dealing with Russia.
Read the full story at Xinhua