Paul Ryan Says Obama’s Fresh Sanctions Against Russia Are ‘Overdue’

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. attends a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, following a closed-door meeting of House Republicans. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

After the Obama administration ordered a new round of sanctions against Russia in response to their meddling in the U.S. presidential election, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said those measures were “overdue.”

“Russia does not share America’s interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world,” Ryan said in a statement. “While today’s action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. And it serves as a prime example of this administration’s ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.”

The Obama administration announced Thursday that in addition to new sanctions against Russian intelligence officials and entities believed to be connected to election-related hacking, 35 Russian diplomats would be forced to leave the country and several Russian compounds would be shut down.

Ryan’s statement could cause tension with President-elect Donald Trump, who has cast doubt on whether Russia was involved in messing with the U.S. election, even though U.S. intelligence agencies had attributed the hacks of Democratic operatives and organizations to that country.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: