Trump defends Russia sanctions waivers, says Zelenskyy does not want to end war

US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his decision to waive or block new US sanctions on Russia. In a Truth Social post, he said he was negotiating peace and did not want to drive Russia away from the bargaining table. In the same post, he accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the war.

DW quoted Trump as writing: "Zelenskyy doesn't care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that Crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did."

The decision drew criticism from Kyiv and its European allies. The Trump administration has also made an arrangement that allows Russian diesel to reach US and global markets. US fuel prices have risen since the war involving Iran began in late February.

According to DW, Trump signed an executive order late Friday waiving broad new sanctions mandated by legislation named for the late US Senator Lindsey Graham. DW reported that the diesel waiver is temporary and aims to lower fuel prices before the US midterm elections on 3 November. According to DW, most economists believe the measures will do little to lower prices. DW does not name the economists.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy spoke with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He said afterwards that "a lot depends" on the US position and that the war "must be brought to an end". He said they discussed deliveries of US Patriot air defense systems. He also said the United States had resumed intelligence sharing after a pause.

Russia and Ukraine struck each other's energy infrastructure. Russian strikes left thousands without power in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported three deaths. Ukraine launched drones at Saint Petersburg. According to Moscow, the attack set an oil refinery ablaze and killed one person.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin proposed a meeting with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on ending the war, without Zelenskyy. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include a White House or Kremlin response.

What is disputed

Al Jazeera called the drone attack the largest on Russia since the war began. The Hindu described it as the largest on Saint Petersburg and attributed that description to Russian state media. Accounts of Trump's refinery remarks also differ. According to DW, he said the strikes aim to hurt Republicans. Al Jazeera and The Hindu quote him as saying they hurt world diesel markets.

What each side says

Trump says he is negotiating peace. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, according to DW, that Trump wanted to assess the sanctions' economic impact. Zelenskyy told NBC's Meet the Press: "If the United States will take the side of Russia, of course we will not prevail." The Kremlin says Ukrainian attacks will not change Moscow's war aims, according to The Hindu.

Analysis

The sanctions waiver highlights a tension in US policy between domestic fuel prices and pressure on Moscow. Supporters of the decision, including the administration, frame it as keeping Russia engaged in talks. Critics in Kyiv and Europe argue it reduces leverage over Russia. Several outcomes remain possible. Talks could advance, the waivers could be reversed or extended, or the energy strikes could escalate further. The reported proposal for a Putin-Trump-Xi meeting without Ukraine, if it moves forward, could raise questions among allies about who takes part in any settlement. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not show whether that meeting will happen.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.