House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he would try to block President Trump if he moved to lift the economic sanctions President Barack Obama, with Congress’s blessing, imposed on Russia for its annexation of Crimea and bad behavior in cyberspace.
“I don’t support that,” Ryan told PBS Wednesday evening. “I think the sanctions were overdue. I think President Obama should have done them a year ago,” he said, confirming that he would take action on the House floor if Trump contravenes current sanctions.
Ryan said Trump’s overtures to Moscow are natural.
“I think what the president is trying to do is not unlike what the past two presidents did with Russia; I just don’t think it’s going to work,” he said. “Remember when George Bush said, ‘I could through his soul’ … trying to get close to Russia, trying to get close Putin? George Bush did that — I don’t think it worked. Remember Hillary Clinton with the ‘reset button’ on behalf of Barack Obama, trying to get close to Russia; trying to smooth things out with Russia?
“New administrations do this; it’s logical as to why they want to do this,” he added. “There are instances where our interests align with Russia and there are those where they don’t.”
The question is one of whether the U.S. leader can move Russia closer to its position, he said.
“I’m not going to hold my breath on that,” he said.
