MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Monday, the US Treasury Department added six lawmakers representing Crimea in the Russian parliament to the Ukraine-related sanctions list. The action was coordinated with the European Union, which sanctioned the same six lawmakers last week.
"Such last minute attempts by President Obama, after the defeat of his camp, the Democrats, for which he outrageously campaigned, to make the return to normal relations between Russia and the US even more difficult, is a shame for democracy," Aldo Carcaci said.
Trump secured a victory in the US presidential election on November 8 by receiving 290 electoral votes. His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton obtained 232 electoral votes. Trump's inauguration will be held on January 20, 2017. Trump has said on multiple occasions that he would look into possibilities to improve relations with the Russian government.
"Mr. Obama clearly knows that his successor will work with President Putin at the reciprocal suppression of sanctions, from January 20 [2017]. So, he tries to make it more difficult, on the core issue of Crimea, which is evidently Russian to any observer."
In 2014, relations between Washington and Moscow deteriorated as the crisis in Ukraine escalated, with Crimea rejoining Russia and pro-independence eastern Ukrainian militias rising up against Kiev's rule.
The United States and its allies, accusing Moscow of fueling tensions in eastern Ukraine, introduced a series of sanctions against Russia as a punitive measure.
Moscow refuted any involvement in the Ukrainian conflict and imposed a year-long food embargo on the countries that had sanctioned it, which was later prolonged as the sanctions were extended.
