Lifting Russian sanctions could mean more AKs, but also bolster collusion narrative

By Jared Morgan

Century Arms, an importer of a number of guns from overseas, featured a Trump standee at its booth during SHOT Show in January 2017. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
If the Trump administration softened sanctions against Russia — like an official said the president has been considering — that could increase the supply of popular AK rifles commercially available in the U.S., but it could also bolster the rapidly developing narrative that the president’s campaign colluded with Russian officials before the election.
An administration official this week sent mixed messages as President Trump met with NATO leaders during his trip abroad. His director of National Economic Council, Gary Cohn, said during Wednesday’s meeting with reporters on Air Force One the president had the sanctions on his mind.
“I think the president is looking at it. Right now, we don’t have a position,” Cohn said.
But he walked back the statement on Friday, saying the administration will not be lifting sanctions on Russia and “If anything, we would probably look to get tougher on Russia.”
The issue returns four months after the Treasury Department eased some sanctions on FSB, the Kremlin’s intelligence agency, enacted by a 2015 executive order signed by former President Obama to punish Russia for

Source: Guns.com