Trump has disbanded a key program to pressure Russia, - Reuters.

The administration of President Donald Trump has halted the work of an inter-agency task force that was developing strategies to pressure Russia to promote peace talks with Ukraine. It was created in the spring months of this year but ceased its activities in May due to a lack of support from Trump. The president appears to have shown decreasing interest in a tough stance in relations with Russia and is even considering the possibility of stepping back from a mediating role in resolving the conflict. There are questions about whether Trump was informed about the work of the group, but officials did not provide specific answers due to the sensitivity of the topic. Nevertheless, they confirmed that the group continued to brainstorm at the time of its dissolution. There is hope that Trump may adopt a more candid stance towards Russia in the future, regardless of the existence of this group.