Trump Planning Return Of Seized Compounds To Russians
Looks Like Trump Is Returning The Favor To Russians For Election Help.
Donald Trump is considering undoing Obama-era sanctions placed on Russia after their interference in the 2016 election.
In December, after the election, President Obama announced new sanctions on Russia including the seizure of two Russian-controlled diplomatic compounds that were being used for espionage.
According to a new report in the Washington Post, Donald Trump “is moving toward handing back to Russia two diplomatic compounds, near New York City and on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.”
President Obama, in his announcement of the sanctions, said that the diplomatic buildings were “used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes.”
However, as early as early April, the Trump White House “told the Russians that it would consider turning the properties back over to them if Moscow would lift its freeze, imposed in 2014 in retaliation for U.S. sanctions related to Ukraine, on construction of a new U.S. consulate on a certain parcel of land in St. Petersburg.”
There is some important context here.
We have since learned that at the same time that President Obama was announcing the new Russian sanctions, Trump’s incoming national security adviser was calling the Russian ambassador to ask them not to retaliate to the Obama sanctions.
Flynn reportedly told the Russian ambassador that the incoming Trump administration would be able to ease sanctions on Russia.
Shortly after that Putin announced that Russia would not be retaliating to the sanctions.
The FBI and at least four congressional committees are currently investigating the Trump-Russia scandal.
You can read the full Washington Post report here.
