Trump talks about how anti-Russia sanctions could be lifted

Trump talks about how anti-Russia sanctions could be lifted

"They have sanctions on Russia - let’s see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that’s part of it. But Russia’s hurting very badly right now because of sanctions, but I think something can happen that a lot of people are gonna benefit," Trump said, according to the paper.

In its report, Reuters cited U.S. State Department figures to say that currently Russia has 1,796 deployed nuclear warheads, while the United States has 1,367.

During the interview, Trump was also "critical of Russia's intervention in the Syrian civil war," the agency reported, saying that it was “a very bad thing” that had led to a “terrible humanitarian situation."

"Not an end it itself"

Persuading the United States to lift anti-Russia sanctions is not a goal in and of itself to concede in areas including security, head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia's Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev said on Monday, Sputnik reported.

"The lifting of sanctions is certainly not an end of itself for Russia. It is not even a strategic goal where it would be necessary to sacrifice something, especially in the field of security," Kosachev told RIA Novosti, noting that he would not equate Trump's words to a "formal proposal" yet.