Tianjin, July 15 -- US President Donald Trump is under "improper pressure" from the European Union and NATO leaders to take a tougher stance on the Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, according to Russian state media outlet RT.

Lavrov's remarks came during a press conference following a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin, China. The Russian minister responded to Trump's recent announcement on future deliveries of advanced weapons systems to Ukraine, which the US president said would be funded by European NATO members. Trump also issued an ultimatum threatening Russia and its trading partners with new economic sanctions unless the conflict is resolved within ...