Despite President Donald Trump&#39;s public statements appearing to oppose sanctions against Russia, the steps ordered by Congress will be imposed in coming weeks, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday.

In testimony before a House subcommittee, Mnuchin pushed back against the idea that Trump is trying to block the sanctions in response to Russia&#39;s meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, saying Trump is &quot;fully supportive.&quot;

&quot;We will implement them,&quot; Mnuchin said. &quot;I expect in next several weeks will be going forward with sanctions on Russia.&quot;

Trump&#39;s vocal opposition to the package -- which entered into law earlier this year -- and his regular praise of Vladimir Putin has raised questions about whether the administration is dragging its feet, which has angered some lawmakers.

Several members of Trump&#39;s campaign have been charged or admitted to lying to the FBI about their contacts with Kremlin-linked officials accused of trying to sway the 2016 vote in Trump&#39;s favor.

Mnuchin assured the legislators that &quot;In recent conversations with the president he is fully supportive of the work we are doing,&quot; and that the sanctions will be enforced.

Democratic representative Mike Quigley said so far the only step has been a &quot;laughable report on Russian oligarchs,&quot; but Mnuchin said the classified report given to Congress detailed the efforts to design the package of penalties.

In its report Treasury publicly identified more than 100 Russian officials and business leaders eligible for sanctions, a list derived from Forbes magazine, among other sources.

A senior administration official last month said the White House already has warned governments around the world that they could face sanctions for &quot;significant transactions&quot; with the Russian military.

That includes NATO ally Turkey, which has publicly announced the purchase of a Russian S-400 air defense missile system, which is seen as a challenge to US air superiority.

'We will implement them,' Mnuchin said. 'I expect in next several weeks will be going forward with sanctions on Russia'

Despite President Donald Trump's public statements appearing to oppose sanctions against Russia, the steps ordered by Congress will be imposed in coming weeks, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday. In testimony before a House subcommittee, Mnuchin pushed back against the idea that Trump is trying to block the sanctions in response to Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, saying Trump is "fully supportive." "We will implement them," Mnuchin said. "I expect in next several weeks will be going forward with sanctions on Russia." Trump's vocal opposition to the package -- which entered into law earlier this year -- and his regular praise of Vladimir Putin has raised questions about whether the administration is dragging its feet, which has angered some lawmakers. Several members of Trump's campaign have been charged or admitted to lying to the FBI about their contacts with Kremlin-linked officials accused of trying to sway the 2016 vote in Trump's favor. Mnuchin assured the legislators that "In recent conversations with the president he is fully supportive of the work we are doing," and that the sanctions will be enforced. Democratic representative Mike Quigley said so far the only step has been a "laughable report on Russian oligarchs," but Mnuchin said the classified report given to Congress detailed the efforts to design the package of penalties. In its report Treasury publicly identified more than 100 Russian officials and business leaders eligible for sanctions, a list derived from Forbes magazine, among other sources. A senior administration official last month said the White House already has warned governments around the world that they could face sanctions for "significant transactions" with the Russian military. That includes NATO ally Turkey, which has publicly announced the purchase of a Russian S-400 air defense missile system, which is seen as a challenge to US air superiority.

US sanctions on Russia coming soon: Treasury Secretary

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Tuesday said that sanctions on North Korea aimed to pressure it to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Kyung-wha kept his views in front of the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations in Geneva.&nbsp;

&quot;Sanctions are not an end in themselves and not meant to bring down North Korea but to make it understand that its future lies not in nuclear weapons but in working with the global community towards denuclearlisation,&quot; Kang said.&nbsp;

He stressed that their efforts are to help North Korea make the right decision.

&quot;Our consistent message should be that it must make the right decision. And if it does, we are ready to work together towards a brighter and prosperous future for North Korea.&quot;

Earlier, Seoul informed that North Korea is willing to hold talks with the US, days after it cancelled a planned meeting with Vice President Mike Pence. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Kyung-wha kept his views in front of the Conference on Disarmament at the UN in Geneva

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Tuesday said that sanctions on North Korea aimed to pressure it to give up its nuclear ambitions. Kyung-wha kept his views in front of the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations in Geneva. "Sanctions are not an end in themselves and not meant to bring down North Korea but to make it understand that its future lies not in nuclear weapons but in working with the global community towards denuclearlisation," Kang said. He stressed that their efforts are to help North Korea make the right decision. "Our consistent message should be that it must make the right decision. And if it does, we are ready to work together towards a brighter and prosperous future for North Korea." Earlier, Seoul informed that North Korea is willing to hold talks with the US, days after it cancelled a planned meeting with Vice President Mike Pence.

Sanctions do not aim to bring down North Korea, says South Korea

The United States is due to announce its largest package of sanctions yet against North Korea to further pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programme, as South Korea readies itself for more talks with the North&#39;s officials.

Tougher sanctions may jeopardise the latest detente between the two Koreas amid their preparations to create conditions appropriate to hold a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

A senior US&nbsp;administration official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, called the new penalties &quot;the largest package of new sanctions against the North Korea regime,&quot; without giving details.

US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence had hinted at such a plan two weeks ago during a stop in Tokyo that preceded his visit to South Korea for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants to boost the &quot;warm climate of reconciliation and dialogue&quot; with South Korea after a high-level delegation including his sister returned from the Winter Olympics.

Last year, North Korea conducted dozens of missile launches and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of United Nations sanctions. However, it has now been more than two months since its last missile test in late November.

The new US&nbsp;sanctions will be announced while Trump&#39;s daughter, Ivanka, is visiting South Korea to attend a dinner with Moon and the closing ceremony of the Games. In addition to the dinner which will feature a kosher menu for Ivanka&#39;s dietary restrictions, the Blue House has planned a small traditional Korean music performance for her delegation.

Her visit coincides with that of a sanctioned North Korean official, Kim Yong Chol, blamed for the deadly 2010 sinking of a South Korean navy ship that killed 46 sailors. His delegation will also meet with Moon.

The Blue House has said there are no official opportunities for US&nbsp;and North Korean officials to meet.

Right person

Kim Yong Chol is the vice-chairman of the North&#39;s ruling Workers&#39; Party&#39;s Central Committee and was previously chief of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a top North Korean military intelligence agency which South Korea blamed for the sinking of its navy corvette the Cheonan.

North Korea has denied any involvement in the sinking.

South Korea on Friday said it approved the Winter Olympic visit by Kim Yong Chol in the pursuit of peace and asked for public understanding.

&quot;Under current difficult circumstances, we have decided to focus on whether peace on the Korean peninsula and improvement in inter-Korean relations can be derived from dialogue with (the visiting North Korean officials), not on their past or who they are,&quot; said Unification Ministry Baik Tae-hyun in a media briefing.

A South Korean lawmaker briefed by the country&#39;s spy agency said on Friday that Kim was the &quot;right person&quot; for inter-Korean and denuclearisation talks.

&quot;Kim Yong Chol is the top official regarding inter-Korean relations and he is being accepted (here) as the right person to discuss various issues like easing military tension, improving inter-Korean ties and denuclearisation,&quot; said Kang Seok-ho to reporters.

Kim currently heads the United Front Department, the North&#39;s office responsible for handling inter-Korean affairs.

Protests against North Korea delegration&nbsp;

South Korea&#39;s decision on Thursday to allow Kim, currently sanctioned by the United States and South Korea, across the border has sparked protest from family members of the dead Cheonan sailors and opposition parties.

Some 70 members from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party staged a protest in front of the presidential Blue House on Friday, demanding the government withdraw its decision.

&quot;President Moon&#39;s decision to accept the North&#39;s facade of peace is a serious issue and it will go down in history as a crime eternal,&quot; said the party in a statement.

A group of family members of those killed in the Cheonan sinking has said it will hold a press conference against the decision on Saturday.

Acknowledging public angst over Kim&#39;s pending visit, Baik said the South&#39;s stance that the Cheonan sinking was instigated by the North has not changed.

&quot;However, what&#39;s important are efforts to create actual peace on the Korean peninsula so these kind of provocations don&#39;t occur again,&quot; said Baik, adding the government would make &quot;various efforts&quot; to assuage the public&#39;s concerns.

US Vice President Mike Pence had hinted at such a plan two weeks ago

The United States is due to announce its largest package of sanctions yet against North Korea to further pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programme, as South Korea readies itself for more talks with the North's officials. Tougher sanctions may jeopardise the latest detente between the two Koreas amid their preparations to create conditions appropriate to hold a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. A senior US administration official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, called the new penalties "the largest package of new sanctions against the North Korea regime," without giving details. US Vice President Mike Pence had hinted at such a plan two weeks ago during a stop in Tokyo that preceded his visit to South Korea for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants to boost the "warm climate of reconciliation and dialogue" with South Korea after a high-level delegation including his sister returned from the Winter Olympics. Last year, North Korea conducted dozens of missile launches and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of United Nations sanctions. However, it has now been more than two months since its last missile test in late November. The new US sanctions will be announced while Trump's daughter, Ivanka, is visiting South Korea to attend a dinner with Moon and the closing ceremony of the Games. In addition to the dinner which will feature a kosher menu for Ivanka's dietary restrictions, the Blue House has planned a small traditional Korean music performance for her delegation. Her visit coincides with that of a sanctioned North Korean official, Kim Yong Chol, blamed for the deadly 2010 sinking of a South Korean navy ship that killed 46 sailors. His delegation will also meet with Moon. The Blue House has said there are no official opportunities for US and North Korean officials to meet. Right person Kim Yong Chol is the vice-chairman of the North's ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee and was previously chief of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a top North Korean military intelligence agency which South Korea blamed for the sinking of its navy corvette the Cheonan. North Korea has denied any involvement in the sinking. South Korea on Friday said it approved the Winter Olympic visit by Kim Yong Chol in the pursuit of peace and asked for public understanding. "Under current difficult circumstances, we have decided to focus on whether peace on the Korean peninsula and improvement in inter-Korean relations can be derived from dialogue with (the visiting North Korean officials), not on their past or who they are," said Unification Ministry Baik Tae-hyun in a media briefing. A South Korean lawmaker briefed by the country's spy agency said on Friday that Kim was the "right person" for inter-Korean and denuclearisation talks. "Kim Yong Chol is the top official regarding inter-Korean relations and he is being accepted (here) as the right person to discuss various issues like easing military tension, improving inter-Korean ties and denuclearisation," said Kang Seok-ho to reporters. Kim currently heads the United Front Department, the North's office responsible for handling inter-Korean affairs. Protests against North Korea delegration South Korea's decision on Thursday to allow Kim, currently sanctioned by the United States and South Korea, across the border has sparked protest from family members of the dead Cheonan sailors and opposition parties. Some 70 members from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party staged a protest in front of the presidential Blue House on Friday, demanding the government withdraw its decision. "President Moon's decision to accept the North's facade of peace is a serious issue and it will go down in history as a crime eternal," said the party in a statement. A group of family members of those killed in the Cheonan sinking has said it will hold a press conference against the decision on Saturday. Acknowledging public angst over Kim's pending visit, Baik said the South's stance that the Cheonan sinking was instigated by the North has not changed. "However, what's important are efforts to create actual peace on the Korean peninsula so these kind of provocations don't occur again," said Baik, adding the government would make "various efforts" to assuage the public's concerns.

Trump to announce new sanctions against North Korea; South Korea preps for talks with North

The European Union will start preparing sanctions against Myanmar generals over killings of Rohingya Muslims by formally calling on the bloc&#39;s foreign policy chief next week to draw up a list of possible names, two diplomats said.

Any new travel bans and asset freezes would be the EU&#39;s toughest measures yet to try to hold the military accountable for the abuses, likely joining US&nbsp;and Canadian sanctions already in place.

&quot;Ministers will call on (Federica) Mogherini to propose restrictive measures on senior members of the Myanmar military for systematic human rights abuses, without delay,&quot; one diplomat said on Thursday, referring to EU sanctions.

Foreign ministers will also ask Mogherini and the EU&#39;s foreign service, the EEAS, on Monday to look at ways to strengthen the bloc&#39;s 1990s-era arms embargo on the Southeast Asian country that remains in place.

In a statement expected to be released on Monday at a regular gathering of EU foreign ministers, the bloc is also expected to reiterate its call for the release of Reuters reporters detained on Dec. 12 over accusations that they violated Myanmar&#39;s Official Secrets Act.

The two had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men who were buried in a mass grave in Rakhine state after being hacked to death or shot by ethnic Rakhine Buddhist neighbours and soldiers.

No names of generals to be targeted for sanctions have been yet discussed, the diplomats said, but the United States said in December it was sanctioning Major General Maung Maung Soe, who is accused of a crackdown on the Rohingya minority in Rakhine.

EU sanctions lists are often coordinated with Washington.&nbsp;

The EU&#39;s decision to consider sanctions reflects resistance to such measures in the UN&nbsp;Security Council, where veto-wielding powers Russia and China said this month they believe the situation in Rakhine was stable and under control.

The United States, as well as United Nations, have described the military crackdown in Myanmar as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;. About 655,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for shelter over the border in Bangladesh, according to the United Nations.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Any new travel bans and asset freezes would be the EU's toughest measures yet to try

The European Union will start preparing sanctions against Myanmar generals over killings of Rohingya Muslims by formally calling on the bloc's foreign policy chief next week to draw up a list of possible names, two diplomats said. Any new travel bans and asset freezes would be the EU's toughest measures yet to try to hold the military accountable for the abuses, likely joining US and Canadian sanctions already in place. "Ministers will call on (Federica) Mogherini to propose restrictive measures on senior members of the Myanmar military for systematic human rights abuses, without delay," one diplomat said on Thursday, referring to EU sanctions. Foreign ministers will also ask Mogherini and the EU's foreign service, the EEAS, on Monday to look at ways to strengthen the bloc's 1990s-era arms embargo on the Southeast Asian country that remains in place. In a statement expected to be released on Monday at a regular gathering of EU foreign ministers, the bloc is also expected to reiterate its call for the release of Reuters reporters detained on Dec. 12 over accusations that they violated Myanmar's Official Secrets Act. The two had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men who were buried in a mass grave in Rakhine state after being hacked to death or shot by ethnic Rakhine Buddhist neighbours and soldiers. No names of generals to be targeted for sanctions have been yet discussed, the diplomats said, but the United States said in December it was sanctioning Major General Maung Maung Soe, who is accused of a crackdown on the Rohingya minority in Rakhine. EU sanctions lists are often coordinated with Washington. The EU's decision to consider sanctions reflects resistance to such measures in the UN Security Council, where veto-wielding powers Russia and China said this month they believe the situation in Rakhine was stable and under control. The United States, as well as United Nations, have described the military crackdown in Myanmar as "ethnic cleansing". About 655,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for shelter over the border in Bangladesh, according to the United Nations.

EU set to prepare sanctions on Myanmar generals: Diplomats

The United States has placed sanctions on two North Koreans who it says are part of the country&#39;s nuclear missile programme, while Russia has reiterated its offer to mediate between the two countries.&nbsp;

The two men have been identified as Kim Jong-sik and Ri Pyong-chol. The US said Kim was part of North Korea&#39;s efforts to switch its missile program from liquid to solid fuel, while Ri was part of its&nbsp;ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) development programme.&nbsp;

The two men have often been seen photographed with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at missile launches.&nbsp;

&quot;Treasury is targeting leaders of North Korea&rsquo;s ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate (North Korea) and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula,&rdquo; US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The&nbsp;sanctions will allow the US to block any property or interests the two North Korean men might have in US jurisdiction and stop any further dealings with US citizens.&nbsp;

The UN had on Friday imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its ICMB test&nbsp;conducted last month, which Pyongyang said put all of the US&nbsp;mainland&nbsp;within range of its nuclear weapons.&nbsp;

The UN sanctions&nbsp;limit North Korea&#39;s access to refined petroleum products and crude oil as well as its earning from workers overseas.&nbsp;

North Korea said the move was &quot;an act of war&quot; and equivalent to a total economic blockade.

The two North Koreans sanctioned by the US, along with weapons developer Jang Chan-ha, were reportedly personally selected by Kim Jong-un and were popular with him.

Pyong-chol is an ex-air force general who studied in Russia, and Jong-sik is a veteran rocket scientist.&nbsp;

Kremlin offer

On Tuesday, the Kremlin, which has long called for the two sides to hold negotiations, said it was ready to act as a mediator if the United States and North Korea were willing for it to play such a role.

&quot;Russia&#39;s readiness to clear the way for de-escalation is obvious,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Asked to comment on the offer, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Justin Higgins, said the United States &quot;has the ability to communicate with North Korea through a variety of diplomatic channels,&quot; and added:

&quot;We want the North Korean regime to understand that there is a different path that it can choose, however it is up to North Korea to change course and return to credible negotiations.&quot;

(With inputs from agencies)

'Russia's readiness to clear the way for de-escalation is obvious, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The United States has placed sanctions on two North Koreans who it says are part of the country's nuclear missile programme, while Russia has reiterated its offer to mediate between the two countries. The two men have been identified as Kim Jong-sik and Ri Pyong-chol. The US said Kim was part of North Korea's efforts to switch its missile program from liquid to solid fuel, while Ri was part of its ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) development programme. The two men have often been seen photographed with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at missile launches. "Treasury is targeting leaders of North Korea’s ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate (North Korea) and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula,” US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. The sanctions will allow the US to block any property or interests the two North Korean men might have in US jurisdiction and stop any further dealings with US citizens. The UN had on Friday imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its ICMB test conducted last month, which Pyongyang said put all of the US mainland within range of its nuclear weapons. The UN sanctions limit North Korea's access to refined petroleum products and crude oil as well as its earning from workers overseas. North Korea said the move was "an act of war" and equivalent to a total economic blockade. The two North Koreans sanctioned by the US, along with weapons developer Jang Chan-ha, were reportedly personally selected by Kim Jong-un and were popular with him. Pyong-chol is an ex-air force general who studied in Russia, and Jong-sik is a veteran rocket scientist. Kremlin offer On Tuesday, the Kremlin, which has long called for the two sides to hold negotiations, said it was ready to act as a mediator if the United States and North Korea were willing for it to play such a role. "Russia's readiness to clear the way for de-escalation is obvious," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Asked to comment on the offer, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Justin Higgins, said the United States "has the ability to communicate with North Korea through a variety of diplomatic channels," and added: "We want the North Korean regime to understand that there is a different path that it can choose, however it is up to North Korea to change course and return to credible negotiations." (With inputs from agencies)

US sanctions North Korean missile experts, Russia offers to mediate

China on Wednesday rejected new United States sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Korea as &quot;wrong&quot;, stressing that it has enforced UN sanctions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear provocations.

The Chinese companies were hit by punitive measures along with North Korean shipping interests after US President Donald Trump put Pyongyang back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Trump warned this week that the sanctions announcement would be the first in a series of moves over the next two weeks that would reinforce his &quot;maximum pressure campaign&quot; against Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime.

As had been expected, the US Treasury Department&#39;s measures unveiled on Tuesday make use of existing US directives against North Korean trade but expand their scope to take in more companies and individuals.

Most importantly, they expand the list of Chinese firms accused of doing business with the North despite promises from Beijing that it will honour UN-backed punitive measures.

&quot;We consistently oppose any country adopting unilateral sanctions based on its own domestic laws and regulations and the wrong method of exercising long-arm jurisdiction,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing.

Trump met China&#39;s President Xi Jinping earlier this month and is bullish about the US-China relationship, but concerns remain that Beijing is not ready to take tough measures against Kim.

&quot;China has been comprehensively respecting and strictly implementing (UN) Security Council resolutions and our efforts in this regard are witnessed by all,&quot; Lu said.

The spokesman called on Washington to provide &quot;any solid evidence&quot; that Chinese companies have violated the UN sanctions.

He said that if any companies or individuals have violated domestic laws, &quot;we will severely deal with that in accordance with our laws and regulations&quot;.

&nbsp;&#39;More should be done&#39;

While China has backed the UN measures, it has been reluctant to take the more drastic step of cutting off oil supplies through a pipeline to North Korea&#39;s lone refinery, fearing that regime collapse could lead to chaos on their common border.

And, according to US officials, some Chinese-based banks and trading firms continue to do business with the North in defiance of UN sanctions and US threats of unilateral measures.

China has pressed for dialogue, saying this week that &quot;more should be done&quot; to hold talks to resolve the crisis.

A Chinese special envoy also wrapped up a four-day trip to the North on Monday, during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear standoff.

Beijing has pushed for a &quot;dual-track approach&quot; which would see the United States freeze its military drills in South Korea while North Korea would halt its weapons programs.

Washington has rejected that approach.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions would not only increase Pyongyang&#39;s isolation but also expose &quot;its evasive tactics.&quot;

&quot;These designations include companies that have engaged in trade with North Korea cumulatively worth hundreds of millions of dollars,&quot; Mnuchin said.

&quot;We are also sanctioning the shipping and transportation companies, and their vessels, that facilitate North Korea&#39;s trade and its deceptive manoeuvres.&quot;

In all, the new measures add one individual, 13 trading entities and 20 ships to US sanctions lists.

Any property or assets of the firms involved found to be in areas under US jurisdiction are to be frozen, and Americans are banned from trading with them.

Three Chinese firms -&nbsp;Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade, Dandong Xianghe Trading Company and Dandong Hongda Trade -&nbsp;are said to have sold computers, minerals and ore to North Korea.

Chinese businessman Sun Sidong and his company Dandong Dongyuan Industrial are accused of exporting vehicles, machinery, radio navigation and &quot;items associated with nuclear reactors.&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;We suspended trading&#39;&nbsp;

A woman who answered the phone at the company said it was not doing business with North Korea and suggested that the firm had halted its operations.

&quot;We are not operating,&quot; she said.

Another woman at Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade denied knowing about the sanctions.

&quot;We have temporarily suspended (trading),&quot; she said.

The Chinese companies were hit by punitive measures along with North Korean shipping interests after US President Donald Trump put Pyongyang back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism

China on Wednesday rejected new United States sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Korea as "wrong", stressing that it has enforced UN sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear provocations. The Chinese companies were hit by punitive measures along with North Korean shipping interests after US President Donald Trump put Pyongyang back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism. Trump warned this week that the sanctions announcement would be the first in a series of moves over the next two weeks that would reinforce his "maximum pressure campaign" against Kim Jong-Un's regime. As had been expected, the US Treasury Department's measures unveiled on Tuesday make use of existing US directives against North Korean trade but expand their scope to take in more companies and individuals. Most importantly, they expand the list of Chinese firms accused of doing business with the North despite promises from Beijing that it will honour UN-backed punitive measures. "We consistently oppose any country adopting unilateral sanctions based on its own domestic laws and regulations and the wrong method of exercising long-arm jurisdiction," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing. Trump met China's President Xi Jinping earlier this month and is bullish about the US-China relationship, but concerns remain that Beijing is not ready to take tough measures against Kim. "China has been comprehensively respecting and strictly implementing (UN) Security Council resolutions and our efforts in this regard are witnessed by all," Lu said. The spokesman called on Washington to provide "any solid evidence" that Chinese companies have violated the UN sanctions. He said that if any companies or individuals have violated domestic laws, "we will severely deal with that in accordance with our laws and regulations". 'More should be done' While China has backed the UN measures, it has been reluctant to take the more drastic step of cutting off oil supplies through a pipeline to North Korea's lone refinery, fearing that regime collapse could lead to chaos on their common border. And, according to US officials, some Chinese-based banks and trading firms continue to do business with the North in defiance of UN sanctions and US threats of unilateral measures. China has pressed for dialogue, saying this week that "more should be done" to hold talks to resolve the crisis. A Chinese special envoy also wrapped up a four-day trip to the North on Monday, during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear standoff. Beijing has pushed for a "dual-track approach" which would see the United States freeze its military drills in South Korea while North Korea would halt its weapons programs. Washington has rejected that approach. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions would not only increase Pyongyang's isolation but also expose "its evasive tactics." "These designations include companies that have engaged in trade with North Korea cumulatively worth hundreds of millions of dollars," Mnuchin said. "We are also sanctioning the shipping and transportation companies, and their vessels, that facilitate North Korea's trade and its deceptive manoeuvres." In all, the new measures add one individual, 13 trading entities and 20 ships to US sanctions lists. Any property or assets of the firms involved found to be in areas under US jurisdiction are to be frozen, and Americans are banned from trading with them. Three Chinese firms - Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade, Dandong Xianghe Trading Company and Dandong Hongda Trade - are said to have sold computers, minerals and ore to North Korea. Chinese businessman Sun Sidong and his company Dandong Dongyuan Industrial are accused of exporting vehicles, machinery, radio navigation and "items associated with nuclear reactors." 'We suspended trading' A woman who answered the phone at the company said it was not doing business with North Korea and suggested that the firm had halted its operations. "We are not operating," she said. Another woman at Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade denied knowing about the sanctions. "We have temporarily suspended (trading)," she said.

China slams 'wrong' US sanctions on North Korea-tied Chinese firms

Washington&#39;s top diplomat on Wednesday said he would not yet push for sanctions against Myanmar over the Rohingya refugee crisis, but he called for an independent investigation into &quot;credible&quot; reports that soldiers committed atrocities against the Muslim minority.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was speaking after a one-day stop in Naypyidaw, as global outrage builds over impunity for a military accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya.&nbsp;

Speaking by his side, Myanmar&#39;s de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi hit back at global criticism that she has been silent over the refugee crisis, saying she has instead focused on speech that avoids inflaming sectarian tensions.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/tillerson-in-myanmar-to-press-suu-kyi-and-army-on-rohingy-24275" target="_blank">Also read: Tillerson in Myanmar to press Suu Kyi and army on Rohingya</a>

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled the mainly Buddhist country since the military launched a counter-insurgency operation in northern Rakhine state in late August.

While the army insists it has only targeted Rohingya rebels, refugees massing in grim Bangladeshi camps have described chilling and consistent accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson at the hands of security forces and Buddhist mobs.

Speaking after meetings with the army chief and Suu Kyi, Tillerson said that broad economic sanctions are &quot;not something that I&#39;d think would be advisable at this time&quot;.

&quot;We want to see Myanmar succeed,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;You can&#39;t just impose sanctions and say therefore the crisis is over.&quot;

But he said Washington was &quot;deeply concerned by credible reports of widespread atrocities committed by Myanmar&#39;s security forces and vigilantes&quot; and urged Myanmar to accept an independent investigation into those allegations, after which individual sanctions could be appropriate.

&quot;The scenes of what occurred out there are just horrific,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Both the army and Suu Kyi&#39;s administration have dismissed reports of atrocities and refused to grant entry to UN investigators charged with probing allegations of ethnic cleansing.

&#39;I have not been silent&#39; 
But Washington has been careful to focus blame on the military rather than Suu Kyi, whose fledgling civilian administration is in a delicate power-sharing arrangement with the army.

Though she lacks any say in security policy, the Nobel laureate has become a punching bag for rights groups disappointed by her failure to publicly criticise the military or defend Rohingya against rising Islamophobia, partly because she was so outspoken during the junta years.

Suu Kyi, who rarely holds press conferences, addressed those criticisms on Wednesday.&nbsp;

&quot;I have not been silent... what people mean is what I say is not interesting enough,&quot; she told reporters.

&quot;What I say is not meant to be exciting, it&#39;s meant to be accurate... not set people against each other.&quot;

Suu Kyi&#39;s defenders say she must tread lightly to avoid provoking a powerful army that could roll back democratic gains at any time.

The US was a major ally in the democratic opening that eventually led to Suu Kyi taking office after free elections in 2015, ending five decades of military dictatorship.

Washington rolled back junta-era trade bans and sanctions on military cronies at key points in the transition to encourage progress.&nbsp;

But the Rohingya crisis has pushed US lawmakers to propose a renewal of targeted military sanctions, including import bans on a jade trade run mostly by junta-era cronies.

Tillerson said he would review the bills upon return to Washington. &nbsp;

As anger over the plight of Rohingya mounts abroad, Myanmar&#39;s army has dug-in with its denial of abuses -- while also curbing access to the conflict zone.&nbsp;

Ahead of Tillerson&#39;s arrival the commander-in-chief published an internal probe that exonerated soldiers of all allegations, saying there was no evidence troops had killed civilians, raped women or used &quot;excessive force&quot; in Rakhine.

Rights groups blasted the report as an attempt to &quot;whitewash&quot; atrocities by a military with a long history of abuses, especially against ethnic minorities in border regions.&nbsp;

The statement by Tillerson came after a meeting with the country's army and civilian leaders

Washington's top diplomat on Wednesday said he would not yet push for sanctions against Myanmar over the Rohingya refugee crisis, but he called for an independent investigation into "credible" reports that soldiers committed atrocities against the Muslim minority. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was speaking after a one-day stop in Naypyidaw, as global outrage builds over impunity for a military accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya. Speaking by his side, Myanmar's de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi hit back at global criticism that she has been silent over the refugee crisis, saying she has instead focused on speech that avoids inflaming sectarian tensions. Also read: Tillerson in Myanmar to press Suu Kyi and army on Rohingya More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled the mainly Buddhist country since the military launched a counter-insurgency operation in northern Rakhine state in late August. While the army insists it has only targeted Rohingya rebels, refugees massing in grim Bangladeshi camps have described chilling and consistent accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson at the hands of security forces and Buddhist mobs. Speaking after meetings with the army chief and Suu Kyi, Tillerson said that broad economic sanctions are "not something that I'd think would be advisable at this time". "We want to see Myanmar succeed," he told reporters. "You can't just impose sanctions and say therefore the crisis is over." But he said Washington was "deeply concerned by credible reports of widespread atrocities committed by Myanmar's security forces and vigilantes" and urged Myanmar to accept an independent investigation into those allegations, after which individual sanctions could be appropriate. "The scenes of what occurred out there are just horrific," he added. Both the army and Suu Kyi's administration have dismissed reports of atrocities and refused to grant entry to UN investigators charged with probing allegations of ethnic cleansing. 'I have not been silent' But Washington has been careful to focus blame on the military rather than Suu Kyi, whose fledgling civilian administration is in a delicate power-sharing arrangement with the army. Though she lacks any say in security policy, the Nobel laureate has become a punching bag for rights groups disappointed by her failure to publicly criticise the military or defend Rohingya against rising Islamophobia, partly because she was so outspoken during the junta years. Suu Kyi, who rarely holds press conferences, addressed those criticisms on Wednesday. "I have not been silent... what people mean is what I say is not interesting enough," she told reporters. "What I say is not meant to be exciting, it's meant to be accurate... not set people against each other." Suu Kyi's defenders say she must tread lightly to avoid provoking a powerful army that could roll back democratic gains at any time. The US was a major ally in the democratic opening that eventually led to Suu Kyi taking office after free elections in 2015, ending five decades of military dictatorship. Washington rolled back junta-era trade bans and sanctions on military cronies at key points in the transition to encourage progress. But the Rohingya crisis has pushed US lawmakers to propose a renewal of targeted military sanctions, including import bans on a jade trade run mostly by junta-era cronies. Tillerson said he would review the bills upon return to Washington. As anger over the plight of Rohingya mounts abroad, Myanmar's army has dug-in with its denial of abuses -- while also curbing access to the conflict zone. Ahead of Tillerson's arrival the commander-in-chief published an internal probe that exonerated soldiers of all allegations, saying there was no evidence troops had killed civilians, raped women or used "excessive force" in Rakhine. Rights groups blasted the report as an attempt to "whitewash" atrocities by a military with a long history of abuses, especially against ethnic minorities in border regions.

Sanctions against Myanmar over Rohingya crisis not advisable: Tillerson

India&#39;s SREI Infrastructure Finance hopes to sign a $500 million joint venture this week with Russian state lender Vnesheconombank, or&nbsp;VEB, to finance exports of equipment to India, managing director Hemant Kanoria said on Thursday.

Kanoria was speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the St Petersburg economic forum where Russian and foreign businessmen gather every year in June.

&quot;We are looking at a joint venture with VEB which will be trying to support equipment exports from Russia into India. This would be heavy equipment going into the mining, construction and other industry in India,&quot; Kanoria said, adding that the machinery could be leased or purchased in India.

&quot;We are looking at half a billion dollars to do a memorandum of understanding with them.&quot; Asked if the venture could be announced at the St Petersburg forum, Kanoria said: &quot;Yes&quot;.

He said SREI had also mooted creating a joint infrastructure fund together with the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) but progress had been slow so far.

SREI&#39;s projects in Russia have stalled since Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow after its 2014 annexation of Ukraine&#39;s Crimea region, forcing partners in its Russian venture to pull back. These include the European Bank for Reconstruction (EBRD) and Development and Germany&#39;s DEG.

In early December 2016 Sergey Gorkov, the head of VEB, secretly met with US President Donald Trump&#39;s son in law&nbsp;Jared Kushner, who is also now a senior white house adviser. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/jared-kushner-now-a-focus-in-russia-investigation/2017/05/25/f078db74-40c7-11e7-8c25-44d09ff5a4a8_story.html?utm_term=.5ba3b2057406" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> reported that the federal investigation into Trump&#39;s Russia probe is looking at&nbsp;Kushner, because of &quot;the extent and nature of his interactions&quot; with the ambassador and Gorkov.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending this year&#39;s St Petersburg forum and also holding a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Indian company's projects in Russia have stalled since Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow for annexing Crimea

India's SREI Infrastructure Finance hopes to sign a $500 million joint venture this week with Russian state lender Vnesheconombank, or VEB, to finance exports of equipment to India, managing director Hemant Kanoria said on Thursday. Kanoria was speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the St Petersburg economic forum where Russian and foreign businessmen gather every year in June. "We are looking at a joint venture with VEB which will be trying to support equipment exports from Russia into India. This would be heavy equipment going into the mining, construction and other industry in India," Kanoria said, adding that the machinery could be leased or purchased in India. "We are looking at half a billion dollars to do a memorandum of understanding with them." Asked if the venture could be announced at the St Petersburg forum, Kanoria said: "Yes". He said SREI had also mooted creating a joint infrastructure fund together with the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) but progress had been slow so far. SREI's projects in Russia have stalled since Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow after its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, forcing partners in its Russian venture to pull back. These include the European Bank for Reconstruction (EBRD) and Development and Germany's DEG. In early December 2016 Sergey Gorkov, the head of VEB, secretly met with US President Donald Trump's son in law Jared Kushner, who is also now a senior white house adviser. The Washington Post reported that the federal investigation into Trump's Russia probe is looking at Kushner, because of "the extent and nature of his interactions" with the ambassador and Gorkov. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending this year's St Petersburg forum and also holding a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

SREI says to ink $500 million venture with Russia's state lender VEB

US President Donald Trump is calling for tougher sanctions on North Korea following its latest ballistic missile test.

&quot;Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea,&quot; the White House said in a brief statement.

The missile impacted &quot;so close to Russian soil -&ndash; in fact, closer to Russia than to Japan -&ndash; the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased.&quot;

North Korea &quot;has been a flagrant menace for far too long,&quot; the statement read. &quot;South Korea and Japan have been watching this situation closely with us.&quot;

The statement emphasises that the United States &quot;maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea.&quot;&nbsp;

(AFP)

'Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea,' the White House said in a brief statement

US President Donald Trump is calling for tougher sanctions on North Korea following its latest ballistic missile test. "Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea," the White House said in a brief statement. The missile impacted "so close to Russian soil -– in fact, closer to Russia than to Japan -– the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased." North Korea "has been a flagrant menace for far too long," the statement read. "South Korea and Japan have been watching this situation closely with us." The statement emphasises that the United States "maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea." (AFP)

Trump calls for stronger sanctions on North Korea after missile test

US President Barack Obama on Friday eased sanctions on Myanmar by terminating an emergency order that deemed the policies of the southeast Asian country&rsquo;s former military government a threat to US national security.

&quot;I have determined that the situation that gave rise to the national emergency...has been significantly altered by Burma&rsquo;s (Myanmar&rsquo;s) substantial advances to promote democracy, including historic elections in November 2015,&quot; Obama said in a letter to congressional leaders announcing the decision, Reuters reported.

Under Obama&rsquo;s new executive order preferential tariffs for Myanmar, which were suspended more than two decades ago amid human rights abuses by the Junta, will be reinstated.

Obama had met the country&#39;s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in September and had stated at the time that revoking sanctions would be &quot;the right thing to do to ensure that the people of Burma (Myanmar) see rewards for a new way of doing business.&quot;

The move aims at getting the rapidly transforming country out of decades of economic isolation.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Under Obama?s new executive order preferential tariffs for Myanmar will be reinstated

US President Barack Obama on Friday eased sanctions on Myanmar by terminating an emergency order that deemed the policies of the southeast Asian country’s former military government a threat to US national security. "I have determined that the situation that gave rise to the national emergency...has been significantly altered by Burma’s (Myanmar’s) substantial advances to promote democracy, including historic elections in November 2015," Obama said in a letter to congressional leaders announcing the decision, Reuters reported. Under Obama’s new executive order preferential tariffs for Myanmar, which were suspended more than two decades ago amid human rights abuses by the Junta, will be reinstated. Obama had met the country's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in September and had stated at the time that revoking sanctions would be "the right thing to do to ensure that the people of Burma (Myanmar) see rewards for a new way of doing business." The move aims at getting the rapidly transforming country out of decades of economic isolation. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Obama eases sanctions on Myanmar

Vladimir Putin will step up Russia&#39;s campaign to end European Union sanctions with a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, encouraged by signs his tactic of lobbying what he views as more pliant southern and eastern European states is starting to pay off. 
 
The sanctions, imposed over the Ukraine crisis, are designed to block access to Western credit and technology for people and businesses linked to President Putin. 
 
Combined with American and Group of Seven sanctions, they have made it harder for Russia to weather an economic crisis fuelled by low oil prices. 
 
The EU earlier this month extended economic sanctions on Russia until the start of 2017, despite misgivings from some countries such as Slovakia who are keen to debate their effectiveness. 
 
Several Moscow-based EU diplomats say Russia&#39;s tactic of methodically lobbying southern and eastern EU member states is starting to seriously erode the bloc&#39;s unity on the issue, making it potentially harder to renew them next time. 
 
&quot;Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a softly softly approach,&quot; one of the diplomats, from a country which favours their continuation, told Reuters. 
 
&quot;The result is that we are seeing more and more countries saying we should analyse the sanctions, assess what effect they are having, and review them again.&quot; Italy, 
 
Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were among Moscow&#39;s prime targets, diplomats said. 
 
Slovenia, where Putin will preside over a summit focused on trade and investment, will be the fourth of those countries he has visited since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist revolt broke out in eastern Ukraine. 
 
The Kremlin sees Slovenia, which Putin has visited before, as an ally in its sanctions quest. 
 
Russia was a big export market for Slovenian food products before the Ukraine crisis and Slovenia remains keen to be a transit country for a potential pipeline carrying Russia gas to southern Europe. 
 
Some EU members, such as Poland, have angered Moscow by tearing down monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War Two. 
 
Slovenia is taking the opposite approach and the Kremlin said Putin would attend the unveiling of a new monument to Soviet soldiers in Ljubljana. 
 
Flagging Unity 
 
Russia says it will not discuss returning Crimea to Ukraine, meaning there is no prospect that the EU sanctions specifically linked to the annexation will be removed anytime soon. 
 
But there is flexibility about wider EU sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the Kremlin was accused of giving military aid to separatist rebels. Moscow denies that. 
 
Two EU diplomats said they thought the impact of Putin&#39;s widening charm offensive, accompanied by offers of lucrative trade deals and polite reminders of lost export revenues, could see those watered down next year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s getting harder to hold the line,&quot; said one, from another country which wants the sanctions maintained. &quot;The sanctions would probably not all be lifted at once, but there could be a decision to lift them in one sector next year.&quot; 
 
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in May she expected a broader review of the bloc&#39;s policy towards Russia later in the year. 
 
Diplomats said there was a feeling that EU unity over the issue was starting to break down because those countries hurt most by Russia&#39;s counter-sanctions, which banned many EU food imports, were coming under increased pressure from their own farmers and companies. 
 
Putin in June extended Russia&#39;s counter-sanctions, which have kept products from Italian hams to French cheeses off supermarket shelves, until the end of next year. 
 
The measures have stung Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi&#39;s decision to attend Russia&#39;s main annual economic forum in St Petersburg in June and share a platform with Putin was seen by some as a sign Rome was wavering. 
 
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also attended, riling some countries such as Lithuania and Latvia who fear Russian aggression and are uneasy that high-level contacts with Moscow are intensifying despite the Ukraine crisis. 
 
But one of the diplomats said Juncker&#39;s decision to fly to Russia was at least partly motivated by a fear that the bloc&#39;s unity on sanctions was flagging. 
 
&quot;Juncker came because he was worried that member states were talking to Russia separately. He wanted to try to take back the initiative,&quot; said the diplomat. 
 
Ukranian Gridlock 
 
Russia&#39;s official line is that it will not seek to get sanctions lifted, because it did not impose them. 
 
The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords, which introduced a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, are fully implemented. 
 
That requires Moscow to leverage its influence on pro-Kremlin separatists who still exchange fire, with often fatal results, &nbsp;on a regular basis with Ukrainian forces. 
 
Ukraine, which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence, has its part to play too. But despite numerous rounds of talks, there is little progress on either side. 
 
The violence, albeit at a much lower intensity, continues; elections haven&#39;t been held in the breakaway eastern regions, Kiev has not granted them special status, and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawn. 
 
The Kremlin&#39;s tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse. With no sign of a breakthrough, friendly EU member states might start to do the same, say some diplomats. 
 
&quot;One scenario is that those countries that want the sanctions lifted say Ukraine is not doing enough to fulfil the Minsk peace accords,&quot; said one diplomat. &quot;That would be true, but then neither is Russia. However that could be the pretext for lifting the sanctions.&quot; 
 
Fredrik Wesslau, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations&#39; Wider Europe Programme, thinks Russia is playing a calculated waiting game. 
 
&quot;Instead of implementing Minsk, Moscow is trying to split Europe and undermine the sanctions policy,&quot; he wrote. 
 
&quot;It believes that the sanctions policy will eventually collapse. It sees European leaders sending mixed messages ... and has taken note of certain European countries&#39; wavering commitment to the policy.&quot; 
 
Countries worried by what they see as the bloc&#39;s faltering resolve fret that Britain&#39;s decision to leave the EU is likely to undermine sanctions further since London has been one of the most vocal champions of keeping them in place. 
 
One Kremlin official said Moscow would be watching with interest to see if the EU&#39;s stance on sanctions would change now that Britain is leaving the bloc. 
 
Supporters of continued sanctions also worry about Germany, where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democrats, last month spoke in favour of gradually phasing out the sanctions. 
 
That is at odds with the position of his coalition partner Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some diplomats say she faces a difficult election next year and that pressure from German business, which has been buffeted by sanctions, will only grow. 
 
With Russia&#39;s Finance Ministry warning that the country&#39;s Reserve Fund, designed to cover budget shortfalls, will be depleted by the end of next year if nothing changes, 
 
Moscow needs some movement. Chris Weafer, senior partner at economic and political consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd, said in a note that even minor sanctions relief could help as that might start to dispel the perception that Russia was a dangerous place in which to invest or conduct business. 
 
Otherwise, he said, the Russian economy looked vulnerable to further financial crisis. 
 
(Reuters)

The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords are fully implemented

Vladimir Putin will step up Russia's campaign to end European Union sanctions with a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, encouraged by signs his tactic of lobbying what he views as more pliant southern and eastern European states is starting to pay off. The sanctions, imposed over the Ukraine crisis, are designed to block access to Western credit and technology for people and businesses linked to President Putin. Combined with American and Group of Seven sanctions, they have made it harder for Russia to weather an economic crisis fuelled by low oil prices. The EU earlier this month extended economic sanctions on Russia until the start of 2017, despite misgivings from some countries such as Slovakia who are keen to debate their effectiveness. Several Moscow-based EU diplomats say Russia's tactic of methodically lobbying southern and eastern EU member states is starting to seriously erode the bloc's unity on the issue, making it potentially harder to renew them next time. "Russia is constantly trying to find a way around the sanctions, targeting countries it thinks are softer. They are trying to kill the sanctions with a softly softly approach," one of the diplomats, from a country which favours their continuation, told Reuters. "The result is that we are seeing more and more countries saying we should analyse the sanctions, assess what effect they are having, and review them again." Italy, Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria were among Moscow's prime targets, diplomats said. Slovenia, where Putin will preside over a summit focused on trade and investment, will be the fourth of those countries he has visited since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and a pro-Russian separatist revolt broke out in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin sees Slovenia, which Putin has visited before, as an ally in its sanctions quest. Russia was a big export market for Slovenian food products before the Ukraine crisis and Slovenia remains keen to be a transit country for a potential pipeline carrying Russia gas to southern Europe. Some EU members, such as Poland, have angered Moscow by tearing down monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers killed during World War Two. Slovenia is taking the opposite approach and the Kremlin said Putin would attend the unveiling of a new monument to Soviet soldiers in Ljubljana. Flagging Unity Russia says it will not discuss returning Crimea to Ukraine, meaning there is no prospect that the EU sanctions specifically linked to the annexation will be removed anytime soon. But there is flexibility about wider EU sanctions on Russia that were imposed in response to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where the Kremlin was accused of giving military aid to separatist rebels. Moscow denies that. Two EU diplomats said they thought the impact of Putin's widening charm offensive, accompanied by offers of lucrative trade deals and polite reminders of lost export revenues, could see those watered down next year. "It's getting harder to hold the line," said one, from another country which wants the sanctions maintained. "The sanctions would probably not all be lifted at once, but there could be a decision to lift them in one sector next year." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in May she expected a broader review of the bloc's policy towards Russia later in the year. Diplomats said there was a feeling that EU unity over the issue was starting to break down because those countries hurt most by Russia's counter-sanctions, which banned many EU food imports, were coming under increased pressure from their own farmers and companies. Putin in June extended Russia's counter-sanctions, which have kept products from Italian hams to French cheeses off supermarket shelves, until the end of next year. The measures have stung Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's decision to attend Russia's main annual economic forum in St Petersburg in June and share a platform with Putin was seen by some as a sign Rome was wavering. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also attended, riling some countries such as Lithuania and Latvia who fear Russian aggression and are uneasy that high-level contacts with Moscow are intensifying despite the Ukraine crisis. But one of the diplomats said Juncker's decision to fly to Russia was at least partly motivated by a fear that the bloc's unity on sanctions was flagging. "Juncker came because he was worried that member states were talking to Russia separately. He wanted to try to take back the initiative," said the diplomat. Ukranian Gridlock Russia's official line is that it will not seek to get sanctions lifted, because it did not impose them. The EU has made lifting sanctions contingent upon Russia doing more to ensure that the Minsk peace accords, which introduced a shaky ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, are fully implemented. That requires Moscow to leverage its influence on pro-Kremlin separatists who still exchange fire, with often fatal results, on a regular basis with Ukrainian forces. Ukraine, which accuses Moscow of continuing to stir violence, has its part to play too. But despite numerous rounds of talks, there is little progress on either side. The violence, albeit at a much lower intensity, continues; elections haven't been held in the breakaway eastern regions, Kiev has not granted them special status, and both sides accuse each other of using heavy weaponry meant to have been withdrawn. The Kremlin's tactic internationally is to say Kiev is the chief cause of the impasse. With no sign of a breakthrough, friendly EU member states might start to do the same, say some diplomats. "One scenario is that those countries that want the sanctions lifted say Ukraine is not doing enough to fulfil the Minsk peace accords," said one diplomat. "That would be true, but then neither is Russia. However that could be the pretext for lifting the sanctions." Fredrik Wesslau, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Wider Europe Programme, thinks Russia is playing a calculated waiting game. "Instead of implementing Minsk, Moscow is trying to split Europe and undermine the sanctions policy," he wrote. "It believes that the sanctions policy will eventually collapse. It sees European leaders sending mixed messages ... and has taken note of certain European countries' wavering commitment to the policy." Countries worried by what they see as the bloc's faltering resolve fret that Britain's decision to leave the EU is likely to undermine sanctions further since London has been one of the most vocal champions of keeping them in place. One Kremlin official said Moscow would be watching with interest to see if the EU's stance on sanctions would change now that Britain is leaving the bloc. Supporters of continued sanctions also worry about Germany, where Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a member of the Social Democrats, last month spoke in favour of gradually phasing out the sanctions. That is at odds with the position of his coalition partner Chancellor Angela Merkel. But some diplomats say she faces a difficult election next year and that pressure from German business, which has been buffeted by sanctions, will only grow. With Russia's Finance Ministry warning that the country's Reserve Fund, designed to cover budget shortfalls, will be depleted by the end of next year if nothing changes, Moscow needs some movement. Chris Weafer, senior partner at economic and political consultancy Macro-Advisory Ltd, said in a note that even minor sanctions relief could help as that might start to dispel the perception that Russia was a dangerous place in which to invest or conduct business. Otherwise, he said, the Russian economy looked vulnerable to further financial crisis. (Reuters)

Putin steps up drive to kill sanctions amid signs of EU disunity

The United States is seeking trade sanctions against India after winning a dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding Indian restrictions on imports of US poultry meat, eggs and live pigs, the WTO said on Friday. 
 
The United States has requested a WTO meeting on July 19 to launch the claim for compensation, according to an agenda circulated by the WTO. 
 
The agenda did not give any details, but the US trade representative&#39;s office has previously said US annual exports of poultry meat to India could exceed $300 million once the restrictions are removed, and are likely to grow substantially in the future as Indian diets and pockets grow richer. 
 
The United States won the dispute in June last year, when the WTO&#39;s appellate body ruled that India&#39;s restrictions were discriminatory and based on unsubstantiated fears over bird flu. India had 12 months to comply with the ruling. 
 
At the time, US secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack called it a &quot;major win for US agriculture&quot; and said it would help keep markets open based on international standards. 
 
The United States argued that it had not had an outbreak of high pathogenic avian flu since 2004, while India had 90 such outbreaks between 2004 and 2014. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

India's restrictions on imports of US poultry, eggs and pigs were discriminatory and based on unsubstantiated fears over bird flu: US

The United States is seeking trade sanctions against India after winning a dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding Indian restrictions on imports of US poultry meat, eggs and live pigs, the WTO said on Friday. The United States has requested a WTO meeting on July 19 to launch the claim for compensation, according to an agenda circulated by the WTO. The agenda did not give any details, but the US trade representative's office has previously said US annual exports of poultry meat to India could exceed $300 million once the restrictions are removed, and are likely to grow substantially in the future as Indian diets and pockets grow richer. The United States won the dispute in June last year, when the WTO's appellate body ruled that India's restrictions were discriminatory and based on unsubstantiated fears over bird flu. India had 12 months to comply with the ruling. At the time, US secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack called it a "major win for US agriculture" and said it would help keep markets open based on international standards. The United States argued that it had not had an outbreak of high pathogenic avian flu since 2004, while India had 90 such outbreaks between 2004 and 2014. (Reuters)

US seeks trade sanctions in India poultry dispute: WTO

The United States placed North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on its sanctions blacklist for the first time on Wednesday, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. 
 
US officials said Kim and 10 other top officials also blacklisted were behind widespread abuses including extrajudicial killings, forced labour and torture in the country&#39;s system of prison camps for political detainees that has made North Korea &quot;among the world&#39;s most repressive countries&quot;. 
 
They also were responsible for harsh censorship of media, academic and cultural activities, including imprisoning people accused of viewing foreign films. 
 
&quot;Under Kim Jong-Un, North Korea continues to inflict intolerable cruelty and hardship on millions of its own people, including extrajudicial killings, forced labour, and torture,&quot; said Adam Szubin, acting treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. 
 
Treasury said that Kim, North Korea&#39;s &#39;Supreme Leader&#39;, was responsible for abuses in his roles as head of the country&#39;s ministry of state security and ministry of people&#39;s security. 
 
According to officials in Washington, the ministry of state security holds 80,000 to 120,000 prisoners in political prison camps where torture, execution, sexual assault, starvation, and slave labour are common. 
 
Meanwhile, the ministry of people&#39;s security overseen by Kim runs a network of police stations, detention centres and labour camps where suspects under interrogation &quot;are systematically degraded and tortured&quot;, the United States said. 
 
Kim is &quot;rather plainly ultimately responsible for the actions of his regime including its repressive policies&quot;, a senior US official said, speaking anonymously. 
 
But authorities in Washington for the first time identified other top officials directly involved in rights abuses, including Choe Pu Il, the minister of people&#39;s security, Ri Song Chol, a senior official in the ministry of people&#39;s security, and Kang Song Nam, a bureau director with the ministry of state security. 
 
Another on the new sanctions list, Cho Yon Jun of the powerful Organization and guidance department, is in charge of enforcing loyalty to Kim, including executing those who defy his will, the senior US official said. 
 
The sanctions were announced in parallel with the state department&#39;s release of a new report which documents the abuses throughout the North Korean security apparatus and political prison camp system. 
 
It is not the first time the United States has placed a head of state on a sanctions list. Previously sanctioned leaders include Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Charles Taylor of Liberia, and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. 
 
Sanctions &#39;send a message&#39; 
 
US officials said they do not expect immediate consequences from the sanctions, which freeze the US-based assets of those named, and forbids Americans from doing business with them. 
 
But senior officials said that naming those directly involved could make them think twice about what they are doing. 
 
&quot;With these efforts, we aim to send a signal to all government officials who might be responsible for human rights abuses, including prison camp managers and guards, interrogators, and defector chasers, with the goal of changing their behavior,&quot; said state department spokesman John Kirby. 
 
The senior official said there was evidence that an increasing number of people inside North Korea, including inside Kim&#39;s regime, are conscious that Kim&#39;s strongman rule might have its limits. 
 
&quot;What this report does is sends a message to people within the North Korean regime, particularly at those lower to mid levels, that if you become involved in abuses like running concentration camps or hunting down defectors, we will know who you are and you will end up on a blacklist that leaves you at a significant disadvantage in the future,&quot; Kirby said. 
 
(AFP)

In a bid to send a message of deterrence, blacklisted personnel also include other officials from Kim's government

The United States placed North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on its sanctions blacklist for the first time on Wednesday, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. US officials said Kim and 10 other top officials also blacklisted were behind widespread abuses including extrajudicial killings, forced labour and torture in the country's system of prison camps for political detainees that has made North Korea "among the world's most repressive countries". They also were responsible for harsh censorship of media, academic and cultural activities, including imprisoning people accused of viewing foreign films. "Under Kim Jong-Un, North Korea continues to inflict intolerable cruelty and hardship on millions of its own people, including extrajudicial killings, forced labour, and torture," said Adam Szubin, acting treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. Treasury said that Kim, North Korea's 'Supreme Leader', was responsible for abuses in his roles as head of the country's ministry of state security and ministry of people's security. According to officials in Washington, the ministry of state security holds 80,000 to 120,000 prisoners in political prison camps where torture, execution, sexual assault, starvation, and slave labour are common. Meanwhile, the ministry of people's security overseen by Kim runs a network of police stations, detention centres and labour camps where suspects under interrogation "are systematically degraded and tortured", the United States said. Kim is "rather plainly ultimately responsible for the actions of his regime including its repressive policies", a senior US official said, speaking anonymously. But authorities in Washington for the first time identified other top officials directly involved in rights abuses, including Choe Pu Il, the minister of people's security, Ri Song Chol, a senior official in the ministry of people's security, and Kang Song Nam, a bureau director with the ministry of state security. Another on the new sanctions list, Cho Yon Jun of the powerful Organization and guidance department, is in charge of enforcing loyalty to Kim, including executing those who defy his will, the senior US official said. The sanctions were announced in parallel with the state department's release of a new report which documents the abuses throughout the North Korean security apparatus and political prison camp system. It is not the first time the United States has placed a head of state on a sanctions list. Previously sanctioned leaders include Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Charles Taylor of Liberia, and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Sanctions 'send a message' US officials said they do not expect immediate consequences from the sanctions, which freeze the US-based assets of those named, and forbids Americans from doing business with them. But senior officials said that naming those directly involved could make them think twice about what they are doing. "With these efforts, we aim to send a signal to all government officials who might be responsible for human rights abuses, including prison camp managers and guards, interrogators, and defector chasers, with the goal of changing their behavior," said state department spokesman John Kirby. The senior official said there was evidence that an increasing number of people inside North Korea, including inside Kim's regime, are conscious that Kim's strongman rule might have its limits. "What this report does is sends a message to people within the North Korean regime, particularly at those lower to mid levels, that if you become involved in abuses like running concentration camps or hunting down defectors, we will know who you are and you will end up on a blacklist that leaves you at a significant disadvantage in the future," Kirby said. (AFP)

In a first, US sanctions North Korea's Kim Jong-Un for 'serious' human rights abuses

sanctions

Sanctions, News on Sanctions, stories on Sanctions, articles on Sanctions, Sanctions stories at Wion, Sanctions news, Sanctions latest news