The U.S. will impose sanctions against Russia for poisoning a former spy and his daughter in the U.K., the State Department announced Wednesday.
The U.S. expelled some 60 Russian agents following the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal, a former Moscow asset-turned double agent. Both Skripal and his daughter survived the poisoning and have been released from the hospital.
The Trump administration was slow to implement the sanctions, having missed a deadline to assign blame and take action. That, along with President Donald Trump's friendly meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, drew criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed off on the sanctions, which are set to go into effect later this month. Another round of sanctions will take effect in three months unless Russia meets certain terms.
