Trump Defends Russia Sanctions Waiver as Rift With Ukraine Deepens
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We provide what many… President Donald Trump defended his decision to waive sweeping sanctions planned against Russia as an effort to keep Moscow at the negotiating table amid strong criticism from Kyiv and some US lawmakers that it sends the wrong message to the Kremlin.
Trump signed an executive order late on October 16 that waives new sanctions mandated by legislation named for the late US senator Lindsey Graham, an ardent supporter of Ukraine, days after giving temporary relief on Russian diesel sanctions.
Trump signed last month at the urging of lawmakers who want to pressure Moscow over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022.
But the moves in recent days to ease sanctions have sparked fierce criticism from many corners that Trump was giving the Kremlin a chance to fund its war machine, an accusation the president rejected.
"I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don't want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table," Trumpwroteon Truth Social on October 18.
Trump made ending Russia's war on Ukraine a priority when he began his current term in January 2025, but Kyiv and Moscow remain far apart in their negotiating positions, and talks have stalled.
The Kremlin has been offering no concessions, repeatedly rejecting calls for a full cease-fire, and sticking to demands including Russian control over the territory it has been unable to seize in battle.
The stalemate has seen the two sides step up attacks, with Moscow pummeling Kyiv and other major cities, along with targeting energy infrastructure, wreaking havoc on utilities just as Ukraine prepares for winter.
That included firing several ballistic missiles at Kyiv late on October 18, including a strike on a medical center building, according to Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, who said at least one person died in the attack.
Ukraine's armed forces, in return, have targeted Russia's refining operations to hinder its military operations.
Those strikes have angered Trump, whose Republican Party is engaged in a tight battle for control of both the Senate and House amid surging fuel prices that have angered many voters.
| Product | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Crude | $102.14/bbl | +0.34% |
| WTI Crude | $96.90/bbl | +0.21% |
| EN590 Diesel | $846/MT | +0.18% |
| Jet Fuel A-1 | $1090/MT | +0.55% |
| Mazut M100 | $450/MT | -0.15% |
| Bitumen 60/70 | $470/MT | +0.08% |
| Sulphur Gran 99.5% | $470/MT | -0.44% |
| Urea 46% Gran | $650/MT | +1.12% |
| NPK 16-16-16 | $460/MT | -0.28% |
| Nat Gas TTF | $15.42/MMBtu | +0.92% |
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