The bill “falls under the category of unfriendly actions, and of course the imposition of any additional sanctions by the U.S. would certainly complicate efforts to find a peace settlement in Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday.
The Indian foreign ministry said New Delhi had previously “very clearly articulated” the potential impact of the measures on its relationship with Washington, and would “take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests.”
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing’s trade relations were not “subject to interference or coercion from any third party.”
As for the EU, critics of the sanctions bill argue it gives Trump too much leeway to issue waivers for major Russia supporters (e.g. China) with whom Washington is seeking wider trade deals, or conversely to pursue vendettas against U.S. allies who displease him, such as the EU, based on the oil and gas purchases of some member countries (e.g. Slovakia and Hungary).
Trump has not said whether he will sign the Russia sanctions bill, although the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that he intends to do so, citing the White House. The European Commission has not publicly commented on the legislation.
