US lawmakers demand sanctions on Algeria for arms deal with Russia

Some 27 members of US Congress signed a letter earlier this week to have Algeria sanctioned over a multi-billion dollar arms deal the North African country reportedly signed with Russia last year.

The bipartisan group of Congress members, led by Representative Lisa McClain, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to call for Algeria to be sanctioned in accordance with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

According to the act, which was signed into law in 2017, the US can sanction individuals or entities engaged in a "significant transaction with a person that is part of, or operates for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation".

The congress members say Algeria's purchase of arms from Russia - which culminated in a reported $7 billion deal in 2021 - could be considered such a transaction.

On the call for sanctions, Representative McClain said: "We must immediately implement significant sanctions on Algeria to send a clear message to the world that support for Putin will not be tolerated."

Earlier this month, US Senator Marco Rubio also sent a letter to Blinken to call for sanctions on Algeria for buying Russian weapons.

The US's long frosty relationship with Russia has only worsened since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.

The US announced a "severe" new round of sanctions on Russia on Friday, following Moscow's annexation of parts of eastern Ukraine.