Trump sets himself a deadline for imposing sanctions on Russia

Donald Trump dodged questions regarding the deadline for imposing further sanctions on Russia, as the Kremlin continues to reject a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The American president has repeatedly threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if he doesn't see progress in peace talks between Kiev and Moscow.

Asked by journalists in the Oval Office whether there was a deadline for implementing sanctions, Mr Trump replied: "Yes, it's in my action plan: 'Yes, the deadline is in my head'", without specifying a date.

"When I see that it won't stop, we will be very tough," Mr Trump added.

Previously, Mr Trump stated that he had not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia because he believed a peace deal was within reach.

"If I think I'm close to a deal, I don't want to spoil it by doing that," he said, while adding that he was ready to act if Moscow continued to stall for time.

On 28 May, Mr Trump declared: "It will take about two weeks, or a week and a half" to know whether Russian president Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine, suggesting that sanctions could be considered if efforts remain deadlocked.

(MH with FM - Source: CBS - Photo: © DPA - dpa Pool - Michael Kappeler)