Is White House trying to soften Congress’ pressure over sanctions against Russia?

The administration of Donald Trump intends to work with the Republicans in Congress to soften the bill on the new anti-Russian sanctions, the media reports with a reference to a high-ranking source in the White House.

The goal is to persuade the lawmakers to include in the document the amendments convenient for the Trump administration. "The White House is concerned that the bill will bind his hands while working on the Russian-American relations, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said publicly,” RBC quotes Politico’s article.

The current version of the bill limits the right of the head of state to cancel the sanctions.

The source drew attention to the fact, that in this case the Trump administration as a whole stands for the sanctions against Russia. He specified that the political results of any veto have not been considered yet.

"Since the State Department actively interacts with the lawmakers, the White House is confident that it has allies in the House of Representatives, who are also concerned about the prospect of breaking the tradition and limiting the control of the executive power over the sanctions," Politico writes.

Recall, this week the US Senate passed a bill to expand the anti-Russian sanctions. New restrictions may be applied against the state-owned companies related to rail and shipping industry. The sanctions can also spread to the oil and gas industry. In addition, the anti-Russian sanctions, currently issued in the form of the presidential decrees, will receive the status of law, which will complicate the procedure for their mitigation or cancellation.

Now the bill should be considered in the House of Representatives, and then it will be handed over to President Donald Trump for signature.