RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Trump administration said Monday [4-16-18] that it is evaluating prospects for new sanctions against Russian entities and companies involved in Syria’s chemical-weapons program, a day after a top diplomat said Washington was ready to impose new punitive actions…On Sunday [4-15-18], the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said new sanctions against Russia were imminent as part of the U.S. response to a suspected Syrian chemical-weapons attack on April 7. She said they would be announced on Monday by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin… On Monday morning, the administration struck a different tone. ‘The president has been clear that he’s going to be tough on Russia. But at the same time, he’d still like to have a good relationship with them,’ Ms. Sanders said.”
-Ian Talley, “White House Says It is ‘Evaluating’ New Sanctions Against Russia,” The Wall Street Journal, April 16, 2018 7:19 pm