US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his decision to lift some sanctions against Russia, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the war.
“My decision regarding Russia is very simple. I am brokering peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and I do not want to do anything that would foolishly remove Russia from the negotiating table,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Zelensky doesn’t care, and frankly, with all the money Europe is giving him, and that crooked Joe Biden has given him in the past, he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never has,” he added.
Trump signed an executive order late Friday waiving sweeping new sanctions imposed by the legislation, named for the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine’s defense.
He also temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing supplies to flow to global markets in a bid to lower fuel prices ahead of the US midterm elections on November 3.
Trump ties lifting of Russian sanctions to fuel prices ahead of midterm elections
Opinion polls suggest Republicans could suffer significant losses in the election, as voters express growing frustration over rising fuel prices since the start of the war in Iran in late February.
Most economists believe that the suspension of sanctions against Russia approved by Congress and the diesel deal with the Kremlin will not help lower U.S. fuel prices.
Trump also reiterated his claim that Ukraine was targeting Russian refineries to harm Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
The move sparked a strong reaction from kyiv and its allies, further straining relations between Trump and Zelensky.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a meeting with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping the following month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
According to the report, which cited people close to the discussions, Zelensky would not be included in the proposed talks, which would seek to end the war on terms favorable to Moscow.
Zelensky warns Ukraine cannot win if US supports Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Sunday that Ukraine would lose its defensive battle against Russia if the United States switches sides and supports Moscow.
“If the United States takes the side of Russia, of course we will not prevail,” Zelensky told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” calling the withdrawal of U.S. support a “historic mistake and a great tragedy.”
He said Washington had resumed intelligence sharing after it had been “stalled for some time,” adding that Ukraine had missed critical intelligence on ballistic missile attacks for three days.
Zelensky also criticized U.S. restrictions affecting Ukraine’s war effort, saying, “We are strategic partners,” but “we cannot applaud when someone turns against Ukraine.”
For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Trump’s suspension of new sanctions against Russia, saying Trump wanted to assess their impact on the global and US economies.
Zelensky addresses US envoys as Trump renews criticism
Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as Russia and Ukraine attacked each other’s energy infrastructure, leaving thousands without power in Ukraine and burning down an oil refinery near St. Petersburg.
After the negotiations, Zelensky said “a lot depends” on the US position, adding that “this war must end.” Ukraine is ready to work in a “constructive” and “honest” manner, he said, calling for the same approach from its European and American partners.
Zelensky said he also discussed deliveries of U.S. Patriot air defense systems as kyiv struggles to counter Russian missiles.
U.S.-led efforts to end the war have yet to succeed, with Trump expressing frustration with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv hit by Russian airstrike after Ukraine targets St. Petersburg
Zelensky accused Moscow of violating Trump’s “energy ceasefire” 76 times and warned that Russia plans to deprive Ukrainians of heat and electricity before winter. The Russian strikes left “tens of thousands” of electricity, he said, while Ukrainian authorities reported three deaths.
An overnight Russian airstrike damaged a metro station on kyiv’s Left Bank, killing a 21-year-old woman and injuring three others, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram on Monday. A medical facility and a non-residential building were also damaged.
Ukraine launched drones into Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg on Sunday, setting fire to an oil refinery and killing one person, Moscow said.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
If you rely on our team for reliable reporting, please take a moment to select us as your preferred source on Google.
Gn usa
