Zelenskyy urges support for Russia sanctions after Trump puts them on hold
Ukraine’s president called for public support for new US restrictions and warned that pausing them would benefit Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged supporters on Saturday, October 17, to speak out for new US sanctions against Russia after President Donald Trump put them on hold. The appeal in Ukraine followed Trump’s decision on Friday to suspend restrictions aimed at Russian officials, banks and energy shipments, according to Associated Press reporting published by PBS NewsHour.
Zelenskyy called the decision a “reward” for Russian President Vladimir Putin and warned that it would embolden him and intensify Russia’s war, The Guardian reported. Those are Zelenskyy’s warnings about the decision, rather than an established account of its effects.
What Trump’s sanctions waiver covers
The legislation sought sanctions against Russian officials and banks and a fleet of tankers used to move Russian energy, according to the AP. Trump signed the legislation last month, then acted two days before its implementation deadline. His October 16 order waived the sanctions, restrictions and duties under the Graham Act, Deutsche Welle reported.
Trump told Congress the waiver was in the US national interest, but the White House did not immediately explain how the pause served that interest, DW reported. The order says the waiver remains in effect until Trump or senior officials determine that further action is appropriate. It sets no fixed date for the restrictions to take effect.
The response marks a new step after Trump’s decision to suspend the sanctions, which NewsJaws covered in its earlier report on the waiver. Zelenskyy is now asking supporters to press for the restrictions even as the order leaves their implementation dependent on a further US decision.
Zelenskyy’s warning and call for Europe
Zelenskyy also said he expected the Trump administration to lift further sanctions against Russia and called for Europe to establish its own negotiations with Moscow, according to The Guardian. He described what he called a “diesel deal” as the first step in a broader lifting of sanctions. His forecast concerns possible future US decisions; the reported order establishes the current waiver.
His appeal came as Ukraine faced renewed attacks on its energy system. Zelenskyy said Russian strikes had hit more than 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities, with “severe consequences,” The Guardian reported. The damage he described adds urgency to his call for pressure on Moscow as Ukraine approaches winter.
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Sources and context
- Zelenskyy urges support for new U.S. sanctions on Russia put on hold by TrumpPBS NewsHour; Associated Press reporting by Susie Blann and Katie Marie Davies
- Trump’s pause on Russia sanctions is ‘reward’ for Putin, Zelenskyy saysThe Guardian; Andrew Roth, reporting from Kyiv
- Trump puts new Russia sanctions on holdDeutsche Welle; Sean Sinico, editor; no agency credit observed in fetched text
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.