U.S. reaffirms sanctions against Russia, says no change to Iraq policy

Shafaq News/ The United States on Thursday reiterated its commitment to maintaining sanctions against Russia, saying there have been no changes to its policy on Iraq.

Matthew Miller, head of the press department at the U.S. State Department, said in a briefing that the United States would continue to implement all of its sanctions on Russia, including those targeting its oil and gas sector.

"We continue to implement all of our sanctions on Russia," Miller said. "There has been no change to Iraq policy vis-à-vis Russia."

Miller said the United States had imposed sanctions on Russia because of its "aggression in Ukraine and its ongoing support for the Assad regime in Syria."

He said the sanctions would remain in place until Russia "de-escalates and enters into serious negotiations."

Miller said the United States had not changed its policy on Iraq, even though Russian companies are still operating in the country.

"We have not changed our sanctions," he said. "We continue to work with the Iraqi government to ensure they are not violating our sanctions."

Miller said the United States would continue to enforce its sanctions against Russia. Still, he declined to say whether the United States would impose sanctions on the Iraqi government for its collaboration with Russian companies.

"Enforcing our sanctions remains a priority," he said. "But I'm not going to preview specific actions we may take."

The United States had imposed sanctions on Russia since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. The sanctions have targeted Russia's economy, financial, and energy sectors.

The sanctions have significantly impacted the Russian economy, but they have not forced Russia to change its behavior.