Trump blocking Russia sanctions a ‘historic moment’, says Putin’s envoy

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev declared the U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to waive sanctions on Russia as a "historic moment" on Saturday. This move, which Trump signed into effect on Friday, exempted Russia from a series of economic sanctions and tariffs targeting the nation's energy revenues. The action came just two days before the sanctions were set to become active.

The conflict between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the U.S. administration has sparked speculation that Trump is aligning more closely with Moscow in the ongoing war. The Graham Act, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was designed to target Russia's energy and defense sectors, along with Putin and other high-ranking officials. The envoy emphasized that the suspension of the act would have inflicted significant harm on the U.S. economy and global markets.

Dmitriev highlighted that the Kremlin and Putin, who appeared in military attire on Friday and stated Moscow's intention to seize the remaining Ukrainian territories, have yet to respond to the U.S. decision. This diplomatic victory for Russia comes as the five-year conflict in Ukraine has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of displacements.