Anyone who has hoped that the relations between the United States and Russia would improve significantly under the Trump administration, can lock their hopes behind closed doors and throw the key away. While the relations have shown signs of improvement and might continue that way or at least not deteriorate like it was doing during the previous Obama administration, a significant improvement is not likely to happen. The recent actions by U.S. Senate strongly suggest that.

On Wednesday, United States Senate has overwhelming voted to make way for allowing new sanctions against Russia in order to punish the latter’s alleged interference in the U.S. election of 2016. In a 100-member Senate, 97 voted in favor of new sanctions, while only two members; Mike Lee and Rand Paul voted against it. The legislation also curbs President Trump’s power to unilaterally remove sanctions on Russia without congressional approval. The new legislation came despite warning from the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said that all of America’s allies in the world has urged Washington to improve its relations with Moscow at a congressional hearing, “I have yet to have a bilateral, one-on-one, a poolside conversation with a single counterpart in any country: in Europe, Middle East, even South-East Asia, that has not said to me: please, address your relationship with Russia, it has to be improved”.

President Trump is expected to meet Mr. Putin for the first time, ahead of G20 meeting.