US Senator Calls for Sanctions on Algeria’s Purchase of Russian Weapons

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, Vice-President of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has called for sanctions on Algeria for its purchase of Russian weapons, in violation of the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanction Act” and expressed great concern with regard to the ongoing defense procurement between Algeria and Russia.

This came in a letter that the Republican Senator of Florida sent to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and wherein he called for “appropriate designation of parties whose significant purchase of Russian materiel enable Russia’s destabilizing actions.”

Russia is Algeria’s largest military supplier. Algeria is also among the top four purchasers of Russian arms worldwide, culminating with a $7 billion arms deal in 2021, the Senator stated, deeming that “influx of money from any source to Russia will only further enable Russia’s war machine in Ukraine.”

Yet, sanctions available, under The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, have not been utilized yet, Senator Marco Rubio deplored.

The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (P.L.115-44) authorizes sanctions designations against any party that “the President determines knowingly . . . engages in a significant transaction with a person that is part of, or operates for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation.”

“Accordingly, I encourage you to take the threat Russia continues to pose to global stability seriously and to appropriately designate parties whose significant purchase of Russian materiel enable Russia’s destabilizing actions,” the Senator said in his letter to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken.