MOSCOW—Russia’s parliament gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would grant compensation to individuals hit by Western sanctions, a move that the usually compliant opposition criticized as a Kremlin attempt to buy the loyalty of the elite.
The bill, which also allows Moscow to seize the assets in Russia of foreign individuals encouraging the sanctions, proved particularly divisive and passed by a small margin of 233 votes to 202.
The law was first proposed in April, but later withdrawn amid a torrent of criticism. The government’s dramatic about-face and the bill’s re-introduction to parliament in September came just one day after …read more
Source: The Epoch Times
