US President Donald Trump's  administration planned  to normalize relations with Russia in the first weeks of its work, in exchange for a possible alliance in the matter of fight against Islamic terrorism, but  behind-the-scenes battle intervened, Yahoo News reported quoting  sources in the US Congress and the State Department.

 According to Yahoo!, some White House officials tasked State Department staffers with developing proposals for the lifting of economic sanctions, the return of diplomatic compounds and other steps to relieve tensions with Russia.

A senior White House official told Yahoo News, that the administration began exploring changes in Russia sanctions as part of a broader policy review that is still ongoing.