Congress ratchets up pressure on Trump, Russia over Syria

President Donald Trump used his controversial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland last month to discuss Moscow’s role in facilitating the removal of Iranian forces from Syria. Putin reportedly told Trump that this would be a tough sell — and Congress agrees.

Now lawmakers are teeing up a new batch of wide-ranging Russia sanctions in a bill that highlights Moscow’s support for Iran and the Bashar al-Assad regime while repudiating Trump’s plan to cooperate with the Russians in Syria.

A bipartisan group of six senators led by Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., introduced the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act earlier this month.

Building upon sanctions legislation Congress passed last year, the new bill requires the Trump administration to submit an assessment of whether Russia belongs on the State Department’s infamous state sponsors of terrorism list, in part because of its actions in Syria. The bill would also require a report on the feasibility of Moscow’s “willingness and capacity” to remove Iran from the war-torn country.