The European union is preparing a "plan B" on how to keep economic sanctions against Russia should the Trump administration abandon Ukraine peace talks and seek rapprochement with Moscow.

Axar.az informs, citing Reuters, EU's high representative for foreign and security policy, Kaja Kallas told the Financial Times on Wednesday.

"We see signs that they are contemplating whether they should leave Ukraine and not try to get a deal with the Russians because it’s hard," she told the FT.

"There is also a plan B but we have to work for plan A; because otherwise you concentrate on plan B and then that will happen," she told the newspaper, adding talks were ongoing with Washington and other international partners to ensure the western sanctions regime was kept in place.