Will Trump roll back sanctions on Russia? Reince Priebus won't say.

Donald Trump and Reince Priebus.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Reince Priebus refused to get specific Tuesday about President-elect Donald Trump's approach to Russian sanctions. Priebus, who is the incoming White House chief of staff, explained to the Morning Joe team that Trump's secretary of state nominee, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, "is not against sanctions" but "what he is against is setting up sanctions that aren't enforced."

The current sanctions are a consequence of Russia's aggressive annexation of eastern Ukraine and for Russia's role in shooting down the passenger plane Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014. The sanctions were imposed with the goal of pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to change his policies toward the neighboring nation.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.