US to keep pressure on Russia 'until they decide to change their behavior'

Washington will continue to apply pressure on Moscow until it changes its behavior, the White House said on Thursday. "I think you can see from the actions we've taken up until this point we're going to be tough on Russia until they decide to change their behavior," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. Her statement was in response to a question about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was "playing" President Donald Trump. Earlier, the Trump administration slapped new sanctions on Russian individuals and entities for alleged cyberattacks and election meddling. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress accused Trump of sparing the rod when he took no action against leading Russian businessmen and officials in Putin’s government. Trump told reporters he backed British Prime Minister Theresa May’s claim that it “looks like the Russians were behind” the alleged poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, two weeks ago.