Russian PM: US declares 'full-scale trade war'

By Emre Gurkan Abay

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev slammed the U. S. for signing into law new sanctions against Russia, calling it a "full-scaletrade war" on Wednesday.

“The U.S. declared a full-scale trade war against Russia,” he said on his Facebook account.

He said the Trump administration was powerless,and had transfered executive powers to Congress.

The reaction came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law a bill imposing sanctions on Russia for its alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election, all the while voicing major objections to its provisions.

The bill is "significantly flawed" due to its "unconstitutional provisions", Trump said in a lengthy statement that announced his decision.

"The bill remains seriously flawed -- particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch’s authority to negotiate," Trump said in a separate statement.

"Congress could not even negotiate a healthcare bill after seven years of talking. By limiting the Executive’s flexibility, this bill makes it harder for the United States to strike good deals for the American people and will drive China, Russia, and North Korea much closer together," he added.

Not only does the bill, now law, apply new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, it makes it harder for an American president to roll back new sanctions, as well as older ones on Russia.