Trump prioritises diplomacy over new anti-Russia sanctions — White House

U.S. President Donald Trump does not want to impose new sanctions against Russia, with diplomacy remaining his top priority, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News.

Responding to a question on how Washington might increase pressure on Moscow, Leavitt stated that the president “has many tools he can use if necessary".

However, she stressed that Trump “does not announce in advance what steps he may or may not take in the future.”

“But he has always said that to end this conflict, he intends first and foremost to use diplomacy and negotiations, and that is exactly what he is counting on tomorrow. Of course, there are sanctions and other measures the president can take if he has to. That does not mean he wants to,” Leavitt said.

For the record, U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, marking their first in-person summit since 2019 and the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021.

The high-stakes meeting, dubbed the "Alaska 2025" or "Trump-Putin Summit," aims to address the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with a focus on negotiating a potential ceasefire and broader peace deal.

By Khagan Isayev