Trump says he will support sanctions against Russia, but on one condition

US President Donald Trump is prepared to support legislation to impose sanctions on Russia if he retains final decision-making powers over their implementation.

This follows a statement by a senior White House official to Reuters after Trump said on Sunday that he was not opposed to a bill by which congressmen plan to punish countries doing business with Russia for its unwillingness to negotiate peace with Ukraine.

Trump hinted that lawmakers could include Iran in the sanctions package.

The proposal has faced delays in Congress as Trump has favoured imposing tariffs on imports from, for example, India, which is one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil.

The official said the White House is continuing to negotiate with Russia to end the war. "We're certainly still working on that. It just hasn't been in the media spotlight because there are so many other things going on."

(reuters, sie)