Trump says he will not impose new sanctions on Russia

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

U.S. President Donald Trump will not impose further sanctions against Russia “because there’s a chance” of progress towards a ceasefire, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on May 19.

“Because I think there’s a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you could also make it much worse,” he said, according to CNN.

“But there could be a time where that’s going to happen,” he added.

Trump’s comments come after he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day in a two-hour phone call. Putin once again did not agree to a ceasefire, instead offering to negotiate a “memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty” with Ukraine.

Despite numerous threats, Trump has never followed through on imposing additional sanctions against Russia. The Kremlin has continued to refuse demands from the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.

Ukraine war latest: Putin refuses ceasefire after Trump call; Zelensky rejects Russia’s demand to withdraw troops from 4 regions

Key developments on May 19: * After call with Trump, Putin still refuses full ceasefire, again cites Russia’s ‘root causes’ of war in Ukraine * Zelensky dismisses Putin’s demand to withdraw troops from 4 Ukrainian regions * Commander of Ukraine’s 59th Brigade replaced, media reports * Ukrainian drones destroy Russian radar, supply depots on

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk