Russia to Soften Plan for Retaliation Against U.S. Sanctions

Russia’s parliament plans to adopt a bill on counter-measures to U.S. and European Union sanctions this month after softening the initial draft to remove language that had targeted specific sectors and products ranging from medication to aerospace.

The bill will pass the first reading in the legislature next week and will then be amended before the second reading to exclude specifics, Alexander Zhukov, deputy speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, told reporters after lawmakers met with experts on the issue. The law will be aimed at “countering damage to Russian citizens and the Russian economy,” Zhukov said. Separately, parliament will appeal to the government to include aid to companies hit by U.S. sanctions in the three-year budget plan.