The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday eased some economic sanctions against Russia, specifically licensing cyber-security sales to the Russian Federal Security Service, the successor to the KGB, according to official documents.

The license, listed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department, covers “all transactions and activities” involving the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, that were prohibited by earlier executive orders.

The initial sanctions, as imposed by President Obama in April 2015, were titled “Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities.” That was further strengthened in December in an order entitled, “Taking Additional Steps to Address the national emergency with Respect to Significant Malicious Cyber-enabled Activities.”

In Washington, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said, in response to the reports, “We’re not easing sanctions” on Russia. He referred questions to the Treasury Department.

Source: Websites