The bill, part of a larger sanctions regimen that would also impose new restrictions and punitive measures on Iran and North Korea, was also passed by the Senate in another nearly unanimous vote (98-2) on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, the Trump administration has already signaled the President's willingness to sign the bill (the same one that they were just badmouthing), turning an "L" into a "W" by mere say so.

The reaction to the bill from Russia is precisely as one would expect: fiery rhetoric about retaliation and counter-measures.

But what about this statement? "In a remarkable moment of candor, the US draft law reveals what this is really about: the sale of American liquefied gas and the displacement of Russian natural gas supplies from the European market. The aim of the sanctions is to secure jobs in the natural gas and oil industry in the USA. Political sanctions should not be associated with economic interests."