against that same nation for its aggression against Ukraine and recognize Crimea , which Russia invaded and is occupying , as Russian territory . If his invitation to hack has understandably caused outrage and accusations of treason , the contempt the Republican Party ’s presidential candidate showed for international law with respect to Crimea was taken far less seriously . Some journalists actually suggested that Trump had not understood the question put very succinctly by Mareike Aden .
The discussion now turns to Moscow , which has reacted to Washington ’s words and deeds in kind . Cohen cites several examples , including speeches by Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ( formerly Kerry ’s partner ) ; a nationwide civil - defense exercise ; a proposal to give military officials control over regional political leaders in the event of war ; and a beefing up of Russian ground - to - air missile defense systems in Syria . While Lavrov spoke of an American policy driven by “ aggressive Russophobia , ” Putin said normal relations could be restored only by Washington reversing all of its Cold War policies in recent years , from NATO expansion to Russia ’s borders to economic sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanction. In response to Batchelor ’s question , Cohen again points to a historical precedent of a way out in dark times in US - Russian relations , when President Reagan decided to meet Soviet leader Gorbachev halfway in the mid and late 1980s , though , he adds , no such leader seems likely to occupy the White House any time soon . He also adds that while the possibility of war is the constant and primary subject in the Russian mainstream media , its near total absence in the America media is itself a very bad sign .
Russia ’s networks are almost certainly harder to penetrate and monitor than North Korea ’s , and if NSA did have that kind of access , it would be reluctant to share evidence that would reveal active sources and methods . Nonetheless , the stakes involved may warrant denouncing the Russians on the basis of something less than absolutely definitive proof . The U.S. would need to be unusually creative to find new targets , given the many sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionalready in effect in Russia . 2 ) Sanctions Advertisement
" I 'm gon na take a look at it , " he told host George Stephanopoulos in the Sunday broadcast . Trump also suggested the people of Crimea would rather be part of Russia . That runs counter to the Obama administration , which imposed economic sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionagainst Russia for annexing the territory in Ukraine two years ago . Donald Trump 's proposal to suspend all Muslim immigration until the U.S. can ' figure out what is going on , ' was made last December . More recently , he has promised to suspend immigration from any country deemed ' compromised by terrorism . '
To even get Iran to negotiate , there had to be a series of heavy sanctions placed upon the country and Clinton was instrumental in getting those sanctions in place . A large part of the success this diplomatic solution was due to Clinton successfully convincing both China and Russia to join the United States in its calls for stricter sanctions against Iran . These sanctions were approved by the UN Security Council in June of 2010 in what President Barack Obama called " the toughest sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionever faced by the Iranian government . " By getting these sanctions in place and despite constant fear mongering and war cries from neo - Conservatives , Iran eventually did come to the negotiating table and the Obama administration was able to work out its historic Iran Deal in a case where diplomacy proved to be the correct course of action . And lastly , we would be remiss not to mention Hillary Clinton 's involvement in opening up Cuba , something that has only now come to light .
In September , Cruz and Trump appeared together at a rally against the Iran deal . Cruz told the crowd , “ Any commander in chief worthy of defending this nation should be prepared to stand up on Jan. 20 , 2017 , and rip to shreds this catastrophic deal . ” Trump made no such commitment . Two months later , in his book , Crippled America , Trump wrote : “ Once the sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionare removed there is no going back , no ‘ snapback . ’ Putting sanctions back in place unilaterally wo n’t do any good . ” Trump was right . Revoking U.S. compliance made no sense .
Russia wants to build a gas pipeline to the south through North Korea . That ’s not likely to happen soon with tensions rising on the peninsula , but there is scope for other cooperation between South Korea and Russia , including development of an Arctic sea route to Europe , he said . South Korea has n’t recognized Russia ’s annexation of Crimea , but it also has n’t joined the U.S.-backed sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanction, Ko said . “ Korea is a divided country . We want Russian cooperation in solving the problem .
But it is far from clear that all the major players with a stake in what the North does are willing to take the kind of risks , and impose the kind of sanctions , that might prompt Pyongyang to back down or , alternatively , to lash out . Breaking News Alerts Sign up to receive an email from The New York Times as soon as important news breaks around the world . Kelsey Davenport , director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association in Washington , argued that stiffening existing sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanction, while sending a political message , would be insufficient . “ Ratcheting up sanctions pressure demonstrates that there is a cost to violating Security Council resolutions , ” she said in an email . “ However , sanctions alone are not going to change Pyongyang ’s behavior .
Hillary , June 13 , 2016 As secretary of state , Hillary Clinton worked to restore America ’s leadership in the world after it was badly eroded by eight years of the Bush administration ’s go - it - alone foreign policy . She oversaw significant accomplishments , from building a global coalition to impose crippling sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionagainst Iran , to brokering a ceasefire in Gaza and protecting Israel , to supporting President Obama ’s decision to bring Osama bin Laden to justice , and much more . Defending America and our core values is one of the cornerstones of Hillary ’s campaign . As president , Hillary will :
He expected the number of new cases in 2015 to be at least 93,000 , up from just under 90,000 in 2014 . That , he said , would be the largest number of new cases since Russia began keeping data almost 30 years ago . The escalation comes as Russia struggles financially , beset by low oil prices , Western sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionand a falling ruble . Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called last October for a series of urgent measures to respond to the growing epidemic . The government plans to spend 40 billion rubles ( $ 475.20 million ) on fighting HIV / AIDs in 2016 .
This is not to suggest that in similar circumstances a person engaged in this activity would face no consequences . To the contrary . Those individuals are often subject to security or administrative sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionbut that 's not what we 're deciding now . As a result . Although the Department of Justice makes final decisions on matters like this we are expressing to justice our view .
" The market will be generally driven by global economic sentiment , which does not exactly look hopeful at the moment , " said analysts at Alfa Bank . Western sanctions over the Kremlin 's support for the separatist insurgency in Ukraine have all but closed access to foreign borrowing for Russia and exacerbated the crisis . Moscow 's economic sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionagainst Turkey over the downing of a Russian bomber at the Syrian border in November has further complicated matters . Polls and anecdotal evidence show that average Russians have begun saving on food purchases . Isolated protests have over the past few months been reported in several cities over the planned cancellation of social benefits and companies failing to pay wages on time .
Whether the plot is real or imagined , Moscow has cranked up its military activity in Crimea at the same time as holding a series of what it says are pre - planned war games and missile deployments in the area . Putin , who is expected to visit Crimea later this week in a show of support , convened his Security Council and canceled the next round of international talks meant to turn the shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine into a lasting peace . But his response - deliberately refocusing international attention back on eastern Ukraine and the lack of progress in implementing a peace deal there - suggests Putin is trying to milk the latest Crimean crisis as part of a diplomatic power play he hopes will eventually kill Western sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanction. TALKS RUN INTO SAND European talks between Russia , Ukraine , France and Germany meant to ensure the peace deal 's implementation have so far run into the sand .
Is there talk of putting any sanctions on the way we did with Russia when they went into the Ukraine ? John Carlin : The bottom line I think has to be that we continue to increase the costs until the behavior changes . If it does n't change , then we need to keep thinking of additional actions , whether they 're trade actions or sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionthat change the behavior . The government of China declined our request for an interview , but sent us this comment : " China has long suffered from massive cyber attacks ... ( and ) firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber attacks in accordance with law ... groundless speculation , accusation or hyping up is not helpful ... " In Massachusetts , Daniel McGahn is rebuilding with much of his business now shifted to India .
Furthermore , Comey testified before Congress that by providing her lawyers access to the emails , she exposed highly classified information to individuals without security clearance , further endangering state secrets . Even though the FBI recommended against indicting Clinton , Comey said that , " To be clear , this is not to suggest that in similar circumstances , a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences . To the contrary , those individuals are often subject to security or administrative sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanction. " A lower - level agency official that violated protocol and carelessly put highly classified information at risk would not be allowed to remain in a position requiring such a high level of security clearance . Yet Clinton is not only being let off the hook , but she is running for an office that would require an even higher level of security clearance , giving her access and control over the nation 's most protected secrets , which only a handful of people know .
The former head of the Russian ministry of defence ’s international treaties department added : “ In other words , teetering on the brink of war , but without the mechanisms to manage the confrontation . ” Russian officials have accused the US of trying to severe relations between Russia and the west . In response to the Russian bombing of Aleppo , the US has proposed sanctions that could harm Russian economy . GETTY Russia faces sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionfor bombing Aleppo Cancelling the plutonium reprocessing deal showed how angry we are Fyodor Lukyanov But deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would take " asymmetrical and forceful measures " in return .
Samantha Power , US ambassador to the UN , called the use of chemical weapons " a barbaric tool , repugnant to the conscience of mankind , " and urged the Security Council to take " strong and swift action " against the perpetrators . She accused the Syrian government of violating a September 2013 resolution which orders the council " to impose measures " under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter for " any use of chemical weapons by anyone in the Syrian Arab Republic " . Those measures usually mean sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanction, and Chapter 7 can be militarily enforced . In pictures : Syria surrenders a third of chemical weapons 15 show all In pictures : Syria surrenders a third of chemical weapons
Beijing worries the system 's radar will be able to track its own military capabilities , and that the deployment will do nothing to lower temperatures on the Korean peninsula . Russian has expressed similar opposition . North Korea , which has threatened a " physical response " against the THAAD decision , has conducted a series of military technology tests this year , including a fifth nuclear test this month , in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionthat were tightened in March . ( Reporting by Ben Blanchard ; Additional reporting by Ju - Min Park in Seoul ; Editing by Nick Macfie )
" For ordinary Syrians , the spectre of arrest or abduction , and the near - inevitable horrors that follow , have paralysed communities across the country " . In light what they called pervasive and ongoing violations of international law , commission members recommended that the Security Council refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court in the Hague . The commission also implored council members to adopt targeted sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionagainst " persons , agencies and groups credibly suspected of being responsible for or complicit in conduct leading to custodial deaths , torture and enforced disappearances . " The report , however , did not list those who it believed should be punished . Related : More Than a Million Civilians Are Under Siege in Syria , Mostly by Regime , Report Says
But it ’s not a coincidence that he made an exception for Putin . Trump , more than any major politician in either party , has indicated a desire to shift U.S. policy toward Russian interests while consistently praising Putin as a strong and effective leader . At his press conference on Wednesday , Trump told a reporter that he would consider recognizing Russia ’s annexation of Crimea from the Ukraine — something only a handful of countries currently do — and that he may end American sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionenacted in response . Last week , the RNC changed its platform to weaken language criticizing Russia ’s Ukraine intervention and Trump ’s top aide Paul Manafort previously lobbied for a pro - Putin Ukrainian leader . Trump also stood by his repeated threats to abandon NATO allies threatened by Russian aggression if they do n’t agree to pay more for American defense .
The incident provoked a deep political crisis between Ankara and Moscow . Since then , the two countries have been locked in a war of words . Russia ’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered economic sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionagainst Turkey . The multiple sanctions on Ankara include banning agricultural trade with Turkey , reintroducing a visa regime , and suspending most bilateral economic projects , including the Turkish Stream gas pipeline construction project . On a related note , Turkey has been caught red - handed in illegal oil trade with the terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq , as evidence unraveled on Ankara ’s involvement being the main destination for the smuggled petrol .
One French official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the government could not confirm any of the details released by the Ukrainians , and echoed initial suspicions of other government officials that Kiev may have orchestrated the incident to serve its own interests . Ukraine is frustrated at the European Union 's delay in granting its citizens visa - free travel amid fears of illegal immigration . French officials say Kiev might be wanting to demonstrate it can be a reliable partner at a time when it is also trying to block a lifting of EU sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionagainst arch - foe Russia . ( Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris and Gilbert Reilhac in Strasbourg ; writing by Richard Lough ; Editing by Paul Taylor and Mark Trevelyan )
Iran wants post - sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanction’ oil contracts denominated in dollars and have buyers pay in euros , Reuters reported . Tehran is also keen to receive money owed to it since the pre - sanctions days in the European currency . The country ’s crude deliveries are to be restored soon , with companies such as the French giant Total , Spanish refiner Cepsa and Litasco and the trading arm of Russia 's Lukoil already holding contracts .
Trump was right . Revoking U.S. compliance made no sense . The agreement ’s smartest critic , Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee , explained in July that by the time a new U.S. president took office , “ the international sanctions process would have been totally dismantled . ” The president could restore American sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionbut not the joint European - Russian - Chinese – United Nations sanctions that had forced Iran to the bargaining table . Iran would have its money , and the Europeans would be in no mood to follow a unilateral American withdrawal from a complex agreement everyone had painstakingly negotiated . The GOP may face a choice between a businessman who understands the importance of honoring deals and two freshman senators who do n’t .
That is the clear position not just of the Obama administration , but also of the Republican Party platform approved in Cleveland at last week ’s GOP convention . While Trump officials reportedly blocked a move to add language calling for the U.S. shipment of weapons to Ukraine ’s government , the platform does include a firm passage about Putin ’s aggression there . “ We support maintaining and , if warranted , increasing sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanction, together with our allies , against Russia unless and until Ukraine ’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully restored , ” the platform states . Trump ’s comments are also at odds with some of his key allies . “ There ’s a sense that sanctions will not continue and that Putin will get the upper hand ” in Ukraine , the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , Bob Corker , told MSNBC in February .
Her work also resulted in health benefits for the emergency responders who worked for weeks at Ground Zero following the attacks . As secretary of state , Clinton worked to build the support needed — including from Russia and China — to impose more stringent sanctions on Iran . Those same sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionlater offered the U.S. and its partners key leverage in negotiating last year ’s Iran nuclear deal , the terms of which cut off the possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapon using plutonium for at least 15 years . Clinton ’s extensive record and her detailed campaign proposals paint the picture of someone who is committed to using government to make a positive difference in people ’s lives , while doing so in a fiscally responsible way that allows the economy to flourish and lets as many people as possible share in the benefits . The former secretary of state has exhibited lapses in judgment during her career — supporting President George W. Bush ’s Iraq war during her time in the Senate and using a private email server during her time as secretary of state — and her time in public life has been bedeviled by the aura of scandal .
European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said the EU will " swiftly transpose this resolution into EU law . " Britain and Germany also issued similar statements welcoming the resolution . Shortly after the resolution 's adoption , the U.S. announced unilateral sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionon the North , blacklisting 11 individuals and five entities for their alleged roles in nuclear and weapons proliferation , including Pyongyang 's all - powerful National Defense Commission . The list also included Hwang Pyong - so , director of the general political bureau of the Korean People 's Army ( KPA ) , who is considered one of the closest aides to leader Kim Jong - un ; Defense Minister Pak Yong - sik , and Ri Yong - mu , a vice chairman of the defense commission . Tuesday 's resolution came 56 days after the North 's nuclear test .
She ’s had the experience doing it . She went toe to toe with Russia and lodged protests when they went into Georgia . And we ’ve done the same thing about Ukraine , but more than launching protests , we ’ve put punishing economic sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionon Russia that we need to continue . Donald Trump , on the other hand , did n’t know that Russia had invaded the Crimea . GOV .
" The United States stands firmly with the people of Ukraine in the face of continued — and I emphasize continued — aggression from Russia and Russian - backed separatists , " Biden said in November . So the official position of the U.S. government is that the Russian annexation of Crimea is illegal and dangerous . Trump , though , left open the possibility Wednesday of simply recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and even perhaps lifting related sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanction. And not only that , but a top Trump foreign policy adviser has previously said , in an interview with Bloomberg , that Russian business interests have expressed excitement to him about the prospect of a President Trump easing sanctions : A globe - trotting American investment banker who 's built a career on deals with Russia and its state - run gas company , Carter Page says his business has suffered directly from the U.S. economic sanctions imposed after Russia 's escalating involvement in the Ukraine .
Russia may not be panicking , but it 's clearly worried . Worried enough for the pro - Kremlin media here to admit there 's a problem : a full - blown economic crisis . The state - controlled media blames the crisis , principally , on low oil prices and , to a lesser extent , on western sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanction. What you do n't hear on TV is anyone blaming President Putin for the problem . Yet , in the decade and a half that Mr Putin has ruled Russia as president or prime minister , Russia failed to prepare for the possibility of low oil prices and did little to diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on energy exports .
Russia could have been trying to influence the election on behalf of Trump , if they carried it , or to make mischief more generally and create chaos during the election . Officials stressed that the administration is only beginning to talk through a possible US response , which could involve cyber countermeasures . They added that sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionare also possible but will not be easy to apply in a hacking case like this , particularly since the authority might not exist in the current Executive Order dealing with punishment for a cyber attack . But the exploration of responses following US intelligence assessments that Russia is most likely behind the DNC hack , along with the comments by Biden and Obama , come at a time when the Democrats see a political opening in Trump 's posture on Russia . The GOP nominee has repeatedly made positive comments about Putin .
They will want to see how far they can bend the rules , " she said in the speech . " That wo n’t work if I ’m in the White House . " To show her seriousness , the former secretary of state suggested deploying additional U.S. forces to the Persian Gulf region and recommended that Congress “ close any gaps ” in the existing sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionto punish Iran for any current or future instances of human rights abuses and support for terror . Although the nuclear agreement allows for additional sanctions that are unrelated to Iran ’s nuclear program , it also requires parties to avoid action “ inconsistent with the letter , spirit and intent ” of the deal . Since July , a handful of senators from both parties have said they are drafting new sanctions laws .
The Boeing 777 was detonated over eastern Ukraine on July 17 , 2014 and killed 298 people , as it headed towards Kuala Lumpur ( file photo ) This allegation was put forward by private investigator , Sergey Sokolov , who claimed that the CIA were helped by the Ukrainian secret service and Dutch security service , to place the bombs on the plane in Holland . He said : ' This terrorist act was a pretext for firstly intensifying sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionon Russia , secondly to show the world that Russia is a barbarian country and thirdly to strengthen the presence of Nato in Europe , particularly Ukraine . ' Speaking after the death of three Ukrainian soldiers today , Military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said : ' As a result of hostilities , three Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another six wounded over the past 24 hours ' . ' According to Motuzyanyk , the situation along the frontline ' had escalated again ' , accusing separatists of ramping up attacks against the Kiev military and using heavy weapons .
Advertisement Continue reading the main story In a chilling epilogue to Mr. Kara - Murza ’s ordeal , a warning appeared in February on the Instagram account of Ramzan A. Kadyrov , the leader of Chechnya . It showed Mr. Kara - Murza outside the European Parliament building in Strasbourg , where he was speaking in favor of sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionagainst Russia . He was in cross hairs , with a caption : “ Those who have n’t understood will understand . ”
0 0 The Turkish tourism industry has hit hard following Russian sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionimposed after Turkey ’s decision to shoot down a Russian plane in Syrian airspace , reported Turkey ’s daily Today ’s Zaman . As many as 1,318 hotels are up for sale now along the Aegean and Mediterranean , with 410 tourism facilities in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya worth TL 30 billion . Also , 908 hotels have sale prices of a total of TL 8.8 billion , the report elaborated .
So now Clinton ’s policy was the same as Bush Sr . ’s : Saddam must go . And there was far more to the U.S. strategy than just intermittent bombing . The U.N. had imposed harsh sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionon Iraq , and the Bush administration had explained frankly that it would use them as the world ’s cruelest bank shot : The sanctions would kill Iraqis , which would motivate surviving Iraqis to overthrow Saddam , so that the killing could end . “ Iraqis will pay the price , ” said Robert Gates , then Bush Sr . ’s national security adviser . “ All possible sanctions will be maintained until [ Hussein ] is gone . ”
Broad new sanctions would be imposed on Russia 's mining , metals , shipping and railways sectors . The measure would punish individuals who conduct what the senators described as " malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government . " Also covered by the sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionare people doing business with Russian intelligence and defense agencies . The Senate bill also would cement in law a series of executive orders signed by Obama and aimed at punishing Russia for aggressive behavior , including its 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for separatist rebels in Ukraine 's east . White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday the Trump administration is still reviewing the Senate legislation and is committed to keeping existing sanctions in place " until Moscow fully honors its commitments to resolve the crisis in Ukraine .
5 . The efforts are widespread . All of these efforts — in Ukraine , in Syria — are accompanied by a newly sophisticated disinformation campaign , primarily targeted at Europe , in order to undermine European support of anti - Russian sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanction. The main tactic is undermining the very idea that truth and objectivity are attainable — or even exist — sucking viewers and Twitter readers into an epistemological black hole in which nothing was provable , not the fact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine , not the fact that a plane full of Dutch tourists was shot down by a Russian missile over the Donbas , not the fact that the European Union and NATO have been a net benefit for Europeans . Now , we ’re seeing a similar water - muddying campaign from the Russians in the U.S. , which dovetails smoothly with Trump and Mike Pence ’s post - truth approach .
Trump presidency could cost U.S. economy $ 1 trillion : Oxford Economics Israeli aircraft attack Syrian army position " Our intention is to secure the strongest possible ( U.N. Security Council ) resolution that includes new sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.naas quickly as possible , " Kim told a news briefing after meeting his South Korean counterpart . He said the United States would work with China , North Korea 's major diplomatic ally , to close loopholes in existing resolutions , which were tightened with Beijing 's backing in March . " China has been very clear that they understand the need for a new U.N. security council resolution in response to the latest North Korean nuclear test , " Kim said .
Iran has not been reintegrated into the global financial system – and it ’s not going to be – though the Chinese will be happy to do business . Khamenei ’s supporters are now suggesting that the Supreme Leader – not the shrewd but naïve president – is the great hero of modern Iranian history ( after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , of course ) . The banks , he says , fear the Americans who “ have not acted on their promises and [ only ] removed the sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.naon paper ” . Worse still , he ’s right . “ Khamenei ’s life is the one you should be writing about , ” one of his believers announced last week .
The Security Council has denounced the latest test and said it would begin work immediately on a resolution . The United States , Britain and France - three of the five veto - wielding permanent members - have pushed for the 15-member body to impose new sanctions . However , China 's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctionalone could not solve the North Korean nuclear issue . The crux of the issue lay with the United States , not China , she added , in an apparent reference to Washington 's refusal to resume negotiations with North Korea until it commits to de - nuclearization . On Saturday , Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a " creative " response was needed .
Another North Korea watcher said the statement might be better viewed as a warning to Pyongyang of what others might do , rather than Russian actions in particular . “ Russia is pointing out to North Korea that its inflammatory rhetoric risks giving its opponents – primarily South Korea and the US – just cause to pursue military action against it , ” said regional expert Christopher Green . Inter - Korean relations have worsened significantly in recent weeks , with Pyongyang showing particular sensitivity to the UN sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionagreed last week . A version of this article first appeared on NK News – North Korean news
Russia ’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday said Moscow reserves the right to reciprocate against Washington after President Obama this week renewed sanctions imposed as a result of the 2014 annexation of Ukraine ’s Crimean peninsula . “ We regret to note that the United States continues to enthusiastically play the anti - Russian sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanctiongame , ” the Russian Federation ’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published on its website this week . “ It is high time Washington comprehended the futility of its policy of sanctions and the danger of the entire line of confrontation with Russia . For our part , we reserve the right to take reciprocal actions to protect our interests . ”
6 . It ’s unclear what Obama ’s next steps are . There is talk of new sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionagainst Russia , but an official who works on Russia sanctions told me there has been no order from the White House to develop them . If Obama decides that he does want to go down that path , the White House would also need to issue a new executive order delineating these authorities in order not to dilute the sanctions levied against Russia for invading Ukraine . It may also not wish to mix them in with any potential sanctions for Russia ’s activities in Syria , which John Kerry called to be investigated as war crimes .
China buys record North Korean coal as sanctions ignored : Russell By Clyde Russell LAUNCESTON , Australia , Sept 26 ( Reuters ) - It appears that China is interpreting the " people 's well - being " as meaning North Korea should be able to export record amounts of coal in defiance of sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionagainst the rogue nuclear - armed state . China imported 2.465 million tonnes of coal from North Korea in August , the highest on record , and 61 percent above what was bought in April , the month sanctions were supposed to take effect . Tougher measures were imposed by the United Nations in March aimed at starving North Korea of funds for its nuclear and ballistic missile programme .
" North Korea 's nuclear capability is growing and speeding to a considerable level , considering the fifth nuclear test was the strongest in scale and the interval has quickened substantially , " Yun told a ministry meeting convened to discuss the test . The blast , on the 68th anniversary of North Korea 's founding , drew global condemnation . The United States said it would work with partners to impose new sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanction, and called on China to use its influence - as North Korea 's main ally - to pressure Pyongyang to end its nuclear program . In Beijing on Saturday , Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui told North Korea 's ambassador to China , Ji Jae Ryong , that the test was " not conducive to the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula " , China 's Foreign Ministry said . " China urges North Korea not to take any more actions that could exacerbate tensions , and return as soon as possible to the correct direction of denuclearisation , " Zhang said .
Russia may not be panicking , but it 's clearly worried . Worried enough for the pro - Kremlin media here to admit there 's a problem : a full - blown economic crisis . The state - controlled media blames the crisis , principally , on low oil prices and , to a lesser extent , on western sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanction. What you do n't hear on TV is anyone blaming President Putin for the problem . Yet , in the decade and a half that Mr Putin has ruled Russia as president or prime minister , Russia failed to prepare for the possibility of low oil prices and did little to diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on energy exports .
What North Korea 's opponents can actually do is problematic . After the fourth test back in January , China agreed to impose tougher UN sanctions . Further and even tougher sanctionstransaction.transfermoney.embargosanctionare still possible , like blocking the export of fuel oil to North Korea . That would be a drastic step which might halt the economy and cause serious suffering to ordinary people . China and the US are increasingly at odds as China asserts itself in East Asia .
The number of Russians living in poverty has reached its highest level since 2006 , according to official statistics published by Russian news site Gazeta . Russia has been hit hard by a financial crisis since the end of 2014 , when low oil prices and an exchange of sanctionstransaction.transaction.embargosanctionwith the EU and U.S. heaped pressure on its faltering currency , the ruble . The International Monetary Fund has projected that Russia ’s recession will not end before the end of 2016 . According to figures from Russia ’s federal statistics office , Rosstat , by the end of 2015 the number of Russians living in poverty grew by 3.1 million annually , reaching 19.2 million .
But the key to its implementation lies with China , which accounts for nearly 90 percent of North Korea 's total trade and provides the impoverished nation with an economic lifeline , they said . So far , U.N. Security Council resolutions have been unsuccessful in preventing the North from advancing its nuclear and missile programs , even though they could have slowed the programs ' progress , due in large part to China 's reluctance to press Pyongyang . Undeterred by U.N. sanctionstransaction.transferownership.embargosanction, Pyongyang kept forging ahead to a point where it claimed the January test involved a hydrogen bomb , a much more powerful and sophisticated nuclear weapon than conventional atomic bombs , even though the U.S. say its analysis is not consistent with Pyongyang 's claims . " We 've got to be honest that , while previous multilateral efforts , including the four previous sanctions resolutions adopted by this Council , have undoubtedly made it more difficult for North Korea to advance its weapons programs , the regime continues to plow ahead , as it demonstrated the last two months , " U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power said during the council meeting .