Trump ready for 'phase two' of Russia sanctions

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he is ready to move to a second phase of sanctioning Russia, the closest he has come to suggesting he is on the verge of ramping up sanctions against Moscow or its oil buyers over the war in Ukraine.

Trump has repeatedly threatened Moscow with further sanctions but withheld them as he pursued peace talks. The latest comments suggest an increasingly aggressive posture, but Trump stopped short of saying he was committed to such a decision or what a second phase might entail. Asked by a reporter at the White House if he is ready to move to "the second phase" of sanctions against Russia, Trump responded, "Yeah, I am." He did not elaborate.

Trump has been frustrated by his inability to bring a halt to the fighting after he initially predicted he would be able to end the war in Ukraine swiftly when he took office in Jan. The White House did not immediately respond to an email on Sunday seeking comment about what steps Trump was contemplating. reuters