Sanctions

World North Korea Kim Jong Un China Xi Jinping North Korean leader Kim Jong Un came back from his trip to China a wealthier man than he already was, as President Xi Jinping bestowed lavish gifts on him and his wife Ri Sol Ju, in an apparent breach of U.N. sanctions. The meeting marked the first foreign trip by Kim since he took power in North Korea, and while the two-day visit to China was labeled "unofficial," the ruling couple were received with a grand red carpet welcome and a lavish banquet. "At the end of the talks Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan presented to Kim Jong Un gifts they prepared with sincerity," said a North Korean media report about the trip. Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un admire the massive gifted vase. Screenshot/KCTV/Youtube Recommended Slideshows 51 In Pictures: The 50 Most Powerful Military Forces in the World 44 In Pictures: Every U.S. President Ranked From Best to Worst 51 In … [Read more...] about China Gave North Korea Luxury Gifts and Booze Banned Under Sanctions

Democracy Dies in Darkness Sections Home Subscribe Try 1 month for $1 Username Sign In Account Profile Newsletters & Alerts Gift Subscriptions Contact Us Help Desk Subscribe Account Profile Newsletters & Alerts Gift Subscriptions Contact Us Help Desk Accessibility for screenreader Monkey Cage Analysis Analysis Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events by Stephan M. Haggard by Stephan M. Haggard April 6 at 6:00 AM In a photo from March, people at a rail station in Seoul watch a TV screen showing images of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, center, and President Trump. Korean letters on the screen read: “Thawing Korean Peninsula.” (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File) President Trump has made much of his “maximum pressure” campaign … [Read more...] about Those North Korea sanctions might be working. Here’s why.

The United States imposed new economic sanctions on senior Russian politicians, companies and business leaders Friday, citing a list of complaints including Moscow’s attempts to undermine Western democracies, support of separatists in Ukraine and its backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  The new economic sanctions — the Trump administration’s most aggressive action against Kremlin-connected individuals — target 17 Russian government officials, a state-owned weapons trading company, and seven so-called oligarchs and 12 companies affiliated with them. “The Russian government operates for the disproportionate benefit of oligarchs and government elites,” said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “Russian oligarchs and elites who profit from this corrupt system will no longer be insulated from the consequences of their government’s destabilizing activities.” The list of sanctions targets include individuals with close ties … [Read more...] about Trump administration imposes sweeping new sanctions on Russian elite

President Donald Trump's decision impose a sweeping set of sanctions against Russian oligarchs was a reaction to several of Russia's activities in recent years, including election meddling in the United States, Mercedes Schlapp, the president's senior adviser for strategic communications, said Friday morning. "These are dealing with issues of election meddling, among other things," Schlapp told Fox News' "Fox & Friends," explaining the move was made in response to a law signed by the president to hold Russia accountable for its actions. She agreed with show co-host Steve Doocy that the move was also made in response to Russia's actions in Crimea and Ukraine, as well as its work in cyber activities. "The administration has been tough on Russia," Schlapp said. "We worked closely with Ukraine. You saw the action we took expelling 60 Russians from our country." The sanctions are part of a "continuing process" to hold Russia responsible for its actions, Schlapp added, but at the … [Read more...] about Mercedes Schlapp: Last Russian Sanctions Target Several Activities

World Russia Oligarchs Sanctions The Trump administration hit Russian officials with a new set of sanctions on Friday, in an effort to punish Moscow for its interference in the 2016 presidential election and its aggression on the international stage. On the new list are some of Russia’s wealthiest and most influential figures, some of whom have been personally caught up in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign collaborated with Russia to influence the elections, and who are believed to have been in contact with Trump’s associates. In all, 38 Russian oligarchs, government officials, and businesses have been included on the new sanctions list. The sanctions will freeze all U.S. assets of the people included on the list and prevent Americans from doing business with them.  Here are a few of the most important names on the new list: Oleg Deripaska: Probably the best known figure is Oleg Deripaska, an aluminum magnate who … [Read more...] about Trump Sanctions Russian Oligarchs, Including Men Linked to Russia Investigation and U.S. Officials