Russia warns U.S. of trade sanctions, presidents' summit uncertain

The Kremlin on Monday expressed hope that the next summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will be held as soon as preparations are completed and the necessary conditions are met.

So far, the last face-to-face talks between the leaders took place in August in Alaska, where they discussed possible solutions to the conflict in Ukraine. However, the planned summit in Budapest was cancelled and Trump responded that it was ill-timed. Moscow has also confirmed that the meeting requires thorough preparation if it is to yield concrete results.

The US president, meanwhile, imposed the first sanctions against Russia during his second term as president, targeting oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil. In addition, he announced legislation that would punish any state that trades with Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that if such a law comes into force, Russia will view it extremely negatively. The Kremlin also described the tariffs imposed on Indian goods - in response to purchases of Russian oil - as illegal trade pressure by the US.

(reuters, max)