The Trump administration will announce a new round of sanctions against Russia on Monday, according to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
In the wake of Friday's American-led airstrikes on Syria, the sanctions come as a punishment against Russia for enabling Syria to use chemical weapons in its civil war. The Trump administration hopes to make it clear that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his allies will pay a price for their use of chemical weapons.
Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday, Nikki said the specifics of the sanctions will be announced on Monday. "They will go directly to any sort of companies that were dealing with equipment related to Assad and chemical weapons use," she explained. "And so I think everyone is going to feel it at this point. I think everyone knows that we sent a strong message, and our hope is that they listen to it."
Donald Trump has remained relatively friendly with Russian president Vladimir Putin throughout his presidency—as rumors of pre-election ties continue to circulate—but his administration has hit Russia with two waves of sanctions and penalties in the last month.
Trump made a point of calling out Putin by name as he announced the Syrian airstrikes.
"No nation can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states, brutal tyrants and murderous dictators," Trump said. "In 2013, President Putin and his government promised the world that they would guarantee the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons. Assad’s recent attack and today’s response are the direct result of Russia’s failure to keep that promise.
He continued, "Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or if it will join with civilized nations as a force for stability and peace. Hopefully, someday we’ll get along with Russia and maybe even Iran, but maybe not."
