Trump’s pause on Russia sanctions is ‘reward’ for Putin, Zelenskyy says

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned Donald Trump’s decision to roll back sanctions on Russia as a “reward” for Vladimir Putin, warning that the move will embolden the Russian leader and intensify the Kremlin’s war. The remarks came amid a major Russian assault on Ukraine’s power grid, one of the heaviest strikes aimed at blacking out Ukrainian cities before winter.

Zelenskyy also said he expects further sanctions relief from the Trump administration, citing the “diesel deal” as the first step, and called for Europe to open its own negotiations with Moscow as the United States pursues closer ties and business with the Kremlin. He stressed that lifting sanctions would not halt Putin’s aggression but would make the Russian president feel supported.

In a social‑media post, Zelenskyy wrote that “a US sanctions blackout, easing pressure on the aggressor, financial rewards for Putin – all of this only encourages him to keep attacking. We must not give up ground. We must keep trying to end the war. To end it, not give Putin every reason to continue it indefinitely.”

Trump announced on Friday that he would pause a sweeping new sanctions package known as the Graham Act, which would have imposed severe penalties on Russia’s economy, including a 100 % tariff on major importers of Russian oil such as China and India, and sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, financial institutions and shadow tanker fleet. Zelenskyy said the decision to waive the sanctions would encourage Vladimir Putin to intensify the war and called for U.S. support to revive the legislation.

“At the time when the Russians launched such a massive strike against our energy sector, in America, regrettably, a decision was made to completely ignore the Lindsey Graham law, which was supposed to impose truly effective pressure on Russia to end this war,” he said. “This law could have – and still can! – help a great deal. But the law needs to actually work, and every voice in support of it matters.”

The suspension was praised by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who described it as an “important and truly historic moment.” The Graham Act, which sanctions Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers, was slated for implementation in two days and would direct Trump to impose up to 100 % tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with exemptions for countries importing less than 15 % of Russia’s gas exports that have taken steps to reduce those imports.

Friday’s announcement follows Trump’s earlier agreement to purchase diesel from Russia in an effort to lower global energy prices, reversing years of U.S. and Western pressure on the Kremlin to end its war against Ukraine. Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes “immediately thereafter,” with a further 3 million tonnes “within a short period of time.”

The Trump administration’s waiver stems from a broader rift between Trump and Zelenskyy. This week, the United States withheld intelligence on imminent ballistic‑missile attacks and reportedly limited Ukraine’s access to the military‑grade Starlink satellite network used for drone operations on the front lines. Zelenskyy expressed hope that Trump would persuade Putin to halt the killings and strikes, but warned that restricting Ukraine’s responses and lifting sanctions would not bring peace.

Trump demanded that Ukraine cease strikes on Russian oil refineries, blaming the Ukraine conflict for a global diesel price spike. Ukraine observed a unilateral “energy ceasefire” after Trump’s call, but resumed attacks when Russia intensified its strikes on Ukrainian power plants and substations.

Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched one of its most devastating attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, striking more than 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities and causing “severe consequences.” He noted that Ukraine’s dwindling anti‑air defenses made it difficult to intercept the nightly barrage of loitering munitions, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, though “our warriors are shooting down a significant number of them.” The “sheer scale and unrelenting pace of Russia’s strikes, specifically against our energy sector, are unfortunately having severe consequences,” he said.

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