‘WE’LL SEE’

Trump Won’t Rule Out Lifting Sanctions After Putin Meeting

The president vows to discuss election meddling but leaves the possibility open of lifting sanctions and recognizing Crimea.

President Trump on Friday told reporters on Air Force One he’d bring up the issue of election meddling when he meets with Russia’s Vladimir Putin next month—but he wouldn’t rule out lifting sanctions or recognizing the Kremlin’s annexation of Crimea. “We’ll be talking about elections. We don’t want anybody tampering with elections,” he said of his upcoming meeting with the Russian leader in Helsinki. When asked if he might lift the sanctions imposed on Moscow over election interference and Putin’s takeover of Crimea, the president appeared to take a softer stance. “We’ll see what Russia does. We’re going to be talking to Russia about a lot of things. We’re going to be talking to them about Syria, we’re going to be talking to them about Ukraine. We might even be talking about some of the things President Obama lost, like Crimea, that could come up,” he said. Asked if he may go against the rest of the international community and recognize Crimea as part of Russia, he said, “We’re going to have to see.”