Russia hits pause on retaliatory ban of U.S. imports

Russia has taken a slower tack on legislation that would ban imports of a list of U.S. products in retaliation for U.S. sanctions on Russian oligarchs revealed ten days ago, per Bloomberg. The vote on the plan, which was introduced Friday, is now delayed until May 15.

Why it matters: It might just be a signal for the U.S. — the Kremlin has not announced whether it backs the legislation, and per Reuters, the “Russian parliament is often used to send assertive messages to foreign states, but these do not always translate into concrete measures.” This comes the same day President Trump walked back threats of imposing more sanctions on Russia.

Details: The economic measures in the Russian legislation would ban imports of American farm, pharmaceutical, and technology products, restrict Russian cooperation with the U.S. on aviation, space, and nuclear energy, and introduce travel restrictions.