Leavitt: Trump not afraid of straining relations with Putin

US President Donald Trump is not afraid of worsening relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the United States continues detaining sanctioned oil tankers, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.

She added Trump will always pursue policies he believes are in the best interests of the United States.

“This means enforcing the embargo against all vessels of the so-called ‘shadow fleet’ that are illegally transporting oil,” Leavitt said.

She added that she does not believe the policy will lead to heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow, noting that the US and Russian presidents maintain good personal relations.

Leavitt highlighted that the detention of sanctioned tankers is an established policy of the Trump administration and that the President is not hesitant to implement it.

“The seizure of a tanker sailing under the Russian flag clearly demonstrates that the United States will not tolerate violations of sanctions,” she said.