Zelenskyy says Trump's decision to waive new sanctions on Russia "seems wrong"
President Trump waived virtually all new Russia sanctions he had signed as strikes against Ukraine continue, drawing backlash. Ramy Inocencio has more.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday waiving sweeping sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia that had been passed by Congress last month. According to Middle East Eye, the order follows a deal struck between Trump and Vladimir Putin to allow exports of Russian diesel in exchange for the easing of sanctions.
The Graham Act, which the President waived, included measures targeting Russian officials, oligarchs, and financial institutions, and provided authority to sanction major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the waiver serves as a 60-day pause to analyze the impact of such sanctions and tariffs on the global and US economies. Rubio noted that various global conflicts, including the war on Iran and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, are impacting energy prices and economies. Hindustan Times - World News reports that the waiver of key provisions in the Graham Act also offered relief to India regarding punitive tariffs.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The Economic Times reports that Senator Thom Tillis described the move as "unconscionable" and "beyond irresponsible," while Senator Rick Scott stated that the administration should be doing everything possible to put economic pressure on Russia. Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the sanctions, which were scheduled to take effect Sunday, could be revived.
Brief written by urgent.news from CBS News, RTE News, Middle East Eye, Hindustan Times - World News, The Economic Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
