Carlos Barria/Reuters
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he intends to sign into law a widely supported bill that gives Congress sweeping powers to prevent him from easing sanctions against Russia, after publicly wavering about signing such legislation. “Trump read early drafts of the bill and negotiated regarding critical elements of it,” a White House statement issued on Friday read. “He has now reviewed the final version and, based on its responsiveness to his negotiations, approves the bill and intends to sign it.” The bill, which also includes new sanctions on North Korea and Iran, was passed by massive, veto-proof majorities in both houses of Congress: 98-2 in the Senate and 419-3 in the House of Representatives. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to retaliate if the legislation is signed into law, calling the sanctions “illegal” under international law.