US Senate passes bill imposing sanctions on Russia, Iran and DPRK

The US Senate passed a bill imposing sanctions on

Russia, Iran and the DPRK 98-2 on Thursday, despite the objection from

President Donald Trump.

The bill will now be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto.

The House of Representatives passed the sanction measures with a 419-3 vote on Tuesday.

The

bill is the first major foreign policy legislation approved by Congress

under Trump, who has struggled to advance his domestic agenda despite

Republicans controlling the Senate and House of Representatives.

If

Trump chooses to veto it, the bill is expected to garner enough support

in both chambers to override his veto and pass it into law.

The

sanctions against Russian were in part to punish Russia further over

Ukraine crisis and a response to conclusions by US intelligence agencies

that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 US presidential election.

The US president denies any collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

This

sanction bill which will later be directed to President Trump also

includes imposing sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile or weapons

of mass destruction programs and package of financial sanctions against

DPRK, which was "in violation of certain United Nations Security Council

resolutions."

On Thursday, Russian President Putin

said on a visit to Finland that Russia at some moment will have to

retaliate, and Russia was "exercising restraint and patience," adding

that "now these sanctions – they are also absolutely unlawful from the

point of view of international law."

"It's impossible to endlessly tolerate this boorishness towards our country," Putin said.