Clinton Tells Russians Cold War Sanctions Will End

A bill in Congress is blocking the move

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged Saturday that the United States would soon lift cold-war-era trade sanctions on Russia, but she did not address human-rights legislation in Congress that has so far blocked the move, infuriated the Kremlin and become an unexpected issue in the American presidential race.

Attending the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting here in place of the campaigning President Obama, Mrs. Clinton welcomed Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization last month. And she said that the United States must now normalize trade relations so that American businesses can reap the benefits of Russia's membership, including lower tariffs for American products.