Zelensky Criticizes Trump for Dropping New Sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, 17 October, that he regretted US President Donald Trump's decision to back away from imposing broad sanctions on Russia. The measures were provided for by a US law designed to curb the financing of Russia's war against Ukraine. Zelensky argues that the move eases pressure on Moscow while it continues to hit Ukrainian infrastructure.

What Trump's order provided

On Friday evening Trump signed an order that introduced, but immediately cancelled, new wide-ranging sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries that buy its oil and gas. Trump had signed the sanctions bill on 18 September after the US Congress passed it. The law stipulated that the sanctions and tariffs would take effect automatically within 30 days unless the president decided otherwise. Trump halted them shortly before the deadline set by Congress.

The sanctions would target Russia's energy and defence sectors, Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, and Moscow's "shadow fleet" of tankers used to bypass Western sanctions. The law would also let Trump impose customs tariffs of up to 100% on the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China. It also targets companies and foreign actors that support the Russian army and expands sanctions against Iran. The law is named after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who had pushed for its passage since April 2025 and died in July this year.

Attack on the energy sector

Zelensky said Russian forces launched one of their most powerful attacks on Ukraine's energy sector overnight, hitting more than 15 important power generation and transmission facilities across various regions. Ukrainian authorities reported that hundreds of thousands of consumers in the Zhytomyr region lost electricity, and power was cut in Vinnytsia. Scheduled power outages are being applied across the country.

"At the moment when the Russians struck our energy sector on such a scale, a decision was unfortunately made in America to completely ignore the Lindsey Graham law," Zelensky said. He stressed that the law could greatly help if it actually works. In his view, pausing sanctions and easing pressure only encourages Putin to continue the attacks.

Zelensky had earlier also criticized Trump's agreement with Russia under which Moscow will supply several batches of diesel to the global market. The US president hopes to lower diesel prices, which have risen sharply ahead of the Congressional midterm elections because of the war with Iran.