Trump lifts sanctions against Russia and intensifies dispute with Zelensky

Trump raises sanctions against Russia and the dispute with Zelensky intensifies - Author, Max Matza - Publication Date - Reading Time: 6 min The President of the United States, Donald Trump, blocked numerous sanctions against Russia two days before they took effect, amidst a growing dispute with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. The sanctions were approved by the US Congress and enacted by the administration in September. But Trump issued an executive order on Friday night stating that suspending some sanctions was of national interest for the US, which provoked a strong reaction from US lawmakers. Zelensky declared that it was regrettable that the US had decided to "completely ignore" the sanctions. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated this Saturday that the suspension would consist of a 60-day pause to analyze the impact on the world economy. The new US sanctions law targeted the Russian economy by granting Trump broad powers to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the five main buyers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India. It also included sanctions against high-ranking Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, as well as against Russian financial institutions and Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet," composed of vessels used to evade existing embargoes. Rubio stated that Trump wanted to use the 60 days to analyze "what the imposition of sanctions and tariffs will mean for the global economy and even the US economy." Relations between Washington and Kyiv became strained after the US reached a controversial agreement to import Russian diesel last week. Ukraine has accused the Trump administration of withdrawing key military support. Since then, the President of Ukraine declared that it was a pleasure to be among the "real leaders" during his address at a European Union summit, after Trump said Zelensky was "more difficult to deal with" than Putin. The suspension of sanctions seemed to add fuel to the fire, while Russia welcomed it. "Betrays our Ukrainian partners once again" The Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev stated that Trump's order was "an important and truly historic moment." In a post on X, he stated that the sanctions would have inflicted "severe damage," mainly to the US and the global market, and that economic cooperation benefits both nations. Democrats, including Congressman Don Beyer, criticized the measure by accusing Trump of capitulating to Moscow and turning his back on Kyiv and Zelensky. "Trump's latest surrender to Putin betrays our Ukrainian partners once again and defies the clear intention of Congress in the legislation designed to punish Russia for its illegal act of aggression," wrote Beyer on X. Some Republican lawmakers also spoke out against the measure. Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's ally, called the suspension of sanctions a mistake and stated on Fox News: "I wish the president had not done it." Cruz added that there were other ways to address the diesel price problem and that "the current path, unfortunately, only benefits Putin, and that is not a good idea." Republican Senator John Cornyn stated on X: "Helping Putin in Ukraine is imprudent. It would not stop with Ukraine and our NATO allies would be next." Republican Senator Thom Tillis also called the decision "extremely irresponsible" and pointed out that the sanctions legislation was approved by Congress with a broad bipartisan majority. Trump could reduce energy prices "by solving the Iran problem, not by doing a favor to Vladimir Putin," he said. Republican Representative Don Bacon opined that many lawmakers will now resist funding the president's agenda "knowing that he is propping up the invasion of a dictator and abandoning an ally to his fate." Zelensky expressed his displeasure This measure is likely to cause even more outrage in Ukraine, where Zelensky has long insisted on the need to impose strict sanctions to limit the funding Russia can use in its war effort. Zelensky declared this Saturday that the sanctions "could have helped enormously" and that the law "aimed to exert a truly effective pressure on Russia to end this war." The Ukrainian President recalled the Russian night attacks on 15 energy facilities in his country that had caused power outages in several regions and stated: "Russia is trying to cause a blackout in Ukraine, just before winter." Zelensky said it was "important for everyone in the US to see what is really happening" on the ground. Zelensky told journalists that he believes the Trump administration will impose more sanctions against Russia. Ukrainian negotiators spoke with their US counterparts on Friday and both teams could meet next week, he added. Zelensky and Ukraine's European allies initially criticized Trump for his plans to import Russian diesel in the hope of reducing energy prices in the US, which have soared due to the war with Iran. The Ukrainian head of state suggested that the agreement was equivalent to the US investing in Russia's war effort. A few days later, Trump stated that both Russia and Ukraine had agreed on an "energy ceasefire" to facilitate the export of Russian diesel. Both countries have been intensely attacking each other's energy infrastructure. Zelensky expressed his surprise at the announcement and stated that Kyiv would stop attacks if Russia did the same. Ukrainian offensive After three days of new Russian attacks, Kyiv resumed its attacks against Russian oil refineries. Trump called the Ukrainian attacks a disgrace, but Zelensky said that "they were only defending Ukraine's interests." The concern that Trump is siding with Russia has intensified due to the disruption of the satellite communications system provided by the US and used by Ukraine. Last week, Starlink suddenly and unexpectedly restricted the flight speed of drones while maintaining the internet connection. According to Ukraine, this interrupted some missions on the battlefield and hindered Kyiv's ability to protect itself from Russian attacks. Zelensky told journalists this Saturday that US officials had informed Ukraine that the speed restrictions were related to technical problems. However, he stated that Ukraine had tested Starlink in European Union territory and found that "these problems do not exist" and that the system worked at higher speeds. Trump has denied interrupting intelligence sharing and deliberately slowing down the network. Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that at least nine people have died and around 60 have been wounded in Russian attacks across the country since Friday. Among the victims, a paramedic died and 20 other people were wounded in a Russian attack on the city of Kherson. Additional report from Helen Sullivan and Sareen Habeshian This article was originally written in English and we used an artificial intelligence tool to translate it. A BBC journalist reviewed the text before its publication. More information on how we use AI. - Download the new BBC World Service app. Choose BBC News Mundo and receive news alerts, documentaries, and analysis, all in one place. 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