© Alex Brandon/APUS Secretary of Defense James Mattis
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is calling on Congress to exempt some countries from being penalized by sanctions the United States is imposing on Russia's military.
In a statement released on July 20, Mattis said Russia should pay a price for its "aggressive, destabilizing behavior,"
but the punishment shouldn't apply to U.S. allies or other countries where Washington is cultivating ties.Mattis' move comes amid growing concern about imposing sanctions on India and other Asian countries where Washington is trying to establish closer relations but which have a past history of purchasing arms from Russia.
India, in particular, is the world's top defense importer, and has purchased Russian military hardware and expertise for decades. Recently, it has been in talks with Moscow to buy S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems.
In a letter this week to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, Mattis urged lawmakers who are currently drafting a massive defense policy bill to let the State Department
waive sanctions if the United States "has a strategic interest in working with nations that are transitioning to closer ties with America but may still depend on Russian equipment."
Comment: As has been speculated from the beginning, it looks like the 'dodgy dossier' was the only piece of evidence the DOJ had in their application of FISA warrants, a dossier paid for by the Democrats. If people can't see how this makes the entire Russia probe a complete farce, nothing will.
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