With his record on Russia under scrutiny after the summit with Vladimir Putin, President Trump on Monday insisted that the United States will not drop sanctions against Moscow.

“Sanctions on Russia will remain as is,” Trump said, even as Putin demands that they be dropped.

Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte first broached the subject and said lifting the sanctions would be “unthinkable.”

Trump also scolded Germany — just as he did at the NATO summit — for agreeing to use a Russian natural gas pipeline while, in his estimation, not paying enough for defense.

The president has endured withering criticism in recent weeks for his summit with Putin in Helsinki, in which he did not chastise Moscow for its 2016 election interference and undercut the US intelligence community’s unanimous conclusion that the Russian strongman personally ordered the meddling.

Trump, of course, also took a shot at the supposedly “fake news” media for not sharing his rosy view of his much-maligned sit-down with the former KGB officer.

“I had a great meeting with President Putin,” the president insisted.