Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Amid Ukraine Conflict
President's decision to import Russian diesel sparks debate as Kyiv resumes strikes on oil facilities and intelligence sharing is questioned.
Sarah Connor
President Donald Trump announced a deal to import diesel from Russia, waiving key sanctions and tariffs against the country.
The strikes specifically targeted diesel refineries. This directly countered President Trump’s assertion that Ukraine’s attacks against their enemy’s diesel refineries are 'seriously hurting the world.'
President Trump stated his decision to waive sanctions against Russia aimed to keep them at the negotiating table. He also claimed he was not a big fan of Volodymyr Zelensky, further stating the Ukrainian President does not want to end the war against Russia.
Volodymyr Zelensky, however, referred to Europeans as 'real leaders' at a summit in Brussels. He also claimed steps were being taken in the United States 'to convince Ukraine to capitulate.'
Adding to the complexity, Elon Musk’s Starlink, used by Ukraine for battlefield communications, reportedly slowed down. Volodymyr Zelensky claimed 'the authorities, the White House' were responsible for this slowdown.
Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that The authorities, the White House were responsible for this slowdown.
Washington still shared intelligence, President Trump claimed, despite Ukrainian officials saying some Russian strikes had occurred without warning. Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, claimed intelligence-sharing had been interrupted but later 'de-blocked.'
The sanctions were blocked two days before they were due to take effect. President Trump claimed major progress is being made toward ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, John Simpson is marking 60 years at the BBC.