Trump's Administration Should Not Use Sanctions to Pressure Moscow - Russian MP

The incoming US administration should not use the issue of lifting anti-Russian sanctions as means of leverage on Moscow, a member of the Russian parliament's upper house, Alexei Pushkov, said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Trump said in a Sunday interview with The Times and Bild that US sanctions against Russia could be lifted in exchange for a bilateral agreement on the reduction of nuclear weapons.  Trump noted in the interview to the newspaper that such an approach would result in "de-escalating international tensions".

"New US administration should not consider lifting sanctions as means of leverage to get concessions from Moscow. [Outgoing US President Barack] Obama tried to do this. The result is well-known," Pushkov wrote on Twitter.

Новой адм. США не следует считать отмену санкций рычагом для получения уступок от России. Обама пытался этого добиться. Результат известен.

— Алексей Пушков (@Alexey_Pushkov) 16 января 2017 г.

The Kremlin spokesman commented on the issue on Monday, saying that Russia is not currently engaged in nuclear disarmament talks with the United States.