Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev expressed the opinion that American congressmen who passed a bill that actually obliges the US president to impose sanctions on the allies of the regime of Bashar Assad only aggravate the situation in Syria.

He believes that the congressmen have become hostages to the media and believe that the fight against Assad is more important than combating terrorism in general. Kosachev wrote on his official Facebook page: "Everyone has a tendency to make a mistake, but what the US congressmen are doing now is its consequent aggravation. They step by step reduce their opportunities for an initiative in solving real problems of Syria, going about the media hysterics and becoming their hostages ".

Konstantin Kosachev noted that the sanctions against Russia and Iran "for the support of the Assad regime in Syria" continue the same line that Washington is oppressing: "the fight with Assad is more important than the fight against terror". The senator believes that for Assad congressmen "as a target for attacks" is much more convenient than terrorism, against which no effective recipes have been found. He writes: "And those that are - the interaction with Russia, Iran and the same Assad - extremely uncomfortable". In addition, according to him, there is some diplomatic zeal here.

Kosachev said: "Washington, in fact," turned off "from the Geneva and Astana processes, and therefore the role of the diplomatic zeal of the White House and the desire to discredit that which occurs not on his initiative and not under his control".

As reported, according to the bill passed by the House of Representatives of the US Congress, new restrictions may apply to foreigners who are connected by financial relations with the authorities of Syria and enterprises under their control.

They will be refused a US visa, any of their property in the US will be frozen.

The bill will be submitted for consideration by the Senate, and afterwards - for signature to the president. It is noted that if it is adopted, within a month Donald Trump will be obliged to blacklist foreign citizens who, in his opinion, support the authorities of Syria. A similar bill has already been voted in the House of Representatives under Barack Obama, but has not been considered by the Senate.