The US has lifted some limited sanctions against Russia’s intelligence agency — allowing the former KGB to dispense licenses to US companies to sell technology products to the Russians.
The authorization allows US companies to pay up to $5,000 annually to the FSB — which controls technology imports into Russia — to get licenses from the security service and its entities to export information technology products to Russia, as long as other aspects of the sanctions order aren’t violated, Business Insider reported.
The Federal Security Service is the successor of the KGB, the spy agency that Russian President Vladimir Putin once headed.
Under Obama’s sanctions, US citizens and companies could not do business with the FSB.
Experts said it had an “unintended consequence” of blocking US companies from selling products to Russia.
Trump, replying to reporters’ shouted questions at an event, said, “I haven’t eased anything.”
White House spokesman Sean Spicer also downplayed the move.
“We’re not easing sanctions. It’s a fairly common process for the Treasury Deptartment … to go back and look whether there needs to be specific carveouts. It is, from what I understand, a regular course of action.”
Obama issued harsh sanctions against the FSB — first in April 2015 and again in December of last year for its alleged role in a Russian hacking campaigns targeting US citizens and infrastructure during the presidential election.
One expert said Obama’s order inadvertently blocked US citizens and companies from conducting business with the FSB and its entities.
“The new General License permits US persons who are shipping technology goods to Russia (which is generally permitted) to get certificates/licenses, etc. from the FSB to continue exporting those goods to Russia,” said Eric Lorber, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Sanctions Finance, on Twitter.
“Once the FSB was designated [by Obama], however, securing these licenses became prohibited, and US exporters could no longer send their goods to Russia,” Lorber continued. “This was very likely an unintended consequence of the 13694 designation, and hence why [it was amended].”
USG officials describing lifting of FSB sanctions as technical fix to avoid unintended consequences of Obama cyber sanctions. I buy it,” tweeted former Obama Administration Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul.
The Treasury Department often issues general licenses such as the one announced on Thursday to help U.S. companies overcome unintended business consequences of sanctions.
U.S. intelligence agencies accused the FSB of involvement in hacking of Democratic organizations during the presidential election.
The agencies and private cyber security experts concluded the FSB first broke into the Democratic National Committee’s computer system in the summer of 2015 and began monitoring email and chat conversations.
In December, Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and put sanctions on two Russian spy agencies. He also sanctioned four Russian intelligence officers and three companies that he said provided material support to Russian cyber operations.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
