Article snippet: Under heavy criticism for still not condemning Russia's interference in the 2016 Donald Trump is defending his record on Russia - and claiming he's been tougher than his predecessor, President Barack Obama. "I have been much tougher on Russia than Obama, just look at the facts. Total Fake News!" the president tweeted Tuesday morning. Trump has still not fully embraced the finding of U.S. intelligence agencies - and now the special counsel's office - that Russia interfered in the election to damage Vladimir Putin and often voiced support for better relations with Moscow. But despite Trump's rhetorical embrace of the autocratic leader and his regime, his administration has taken some big steps to push back on Russia, including some steps that Obama avoided. In December, his administration decided to arm Ukraine with lethal weapons, and his State Department has consistently criticized Russia for leading, arming, and supporting separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. While the Obama administration increased aid to Ukraine, and rallied European partners to slap Russia with international sanctions, it never crossed the line into providing lethal support. The Trump administration has kept those sanctions in place - and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said they will remain so until Russia withdraws from eastern Ukraine, abides by the peace deals it pledged to support - known as the Minsk agreements - and returns Crimea to Ukraine, four years after it... Link to the full article to read more