Trump Waives Russia Sanctions as Kyiv Seeks U.S. Support

Sanctions Waiver and U.S. Leverage

President Donald Trump waived sweeping sanctions on Russia Friday, setting aside measures Congress passed with bipartisan support and Trump signed the previous month. His executive order said the waiver “is in the national interests of the United States.” The sanctions aimed to penalize global buyers of Russian oil and gas and target Russian revenue.

The waiver followed a deal with Vladimir Putin to release hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel onto the global market as fuel prices rose. The Hill reported that Trump had announced earlier in the month that he intended to lift sanctions, allowing 300,000 tons of Russian oil to supply the U.S. and global economies. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the decision “gifts to Putin” and said it would strengthen Putin’s will to occupy Ukraine.

On NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Zelenskyy said he still hoped Trump would change decisions that had unsettled Ukraine and its supporters in Congress. “We want to trust him,” Zelenskyy said. “I hope that he will change his decisions, because I think that it's all mistakes, and it will not help us, and it will not help United States.”

In an interview with Kristen Welker, Zelenskyy said that if the United States officially took Russia’s side, “we will not prevail, and we will not be able to stand.” He called such a move a “tragedy” and a “historic mistake and big tragedy.” He added, “I don't want to live in illusions, but I think that we have to be pragmatic.”

Calls to Reverse the Deal

Former Vice President Pence urged Trump to restore sanctions and reverse the diesel agreement. “President Trump's decision to waive sanctions against Russia as Putin continues his brutal war of aggression against Ukraine dishonors the legacy of the late Senator Lindsey Graham and is decidedly not in the national interests of the United States and should be reversed,” Pence wrote on X.

Pence added: “Putin is a war criminal and only understands strength. Waiving Graham Act sanctions on Russia signals weakness at a moment that demands American strength.” The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 aimed to pressure Russia to end its war against Ukraine.

Both parties criticized the agreement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote on X: “This filthy deal will only aid and abet the same Putin who is helping the Iranians to target and try to kill American troops in the Middle East and who illegally and viciously invaded our ally Ukraine.” Five House GOP lawmakers joined Democratic colleagues Thursday in calling for Trump to cancel the deal.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the waiver Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week.” “This is a carrot to try to end a war. It's not an economic lifeline for Russia,” he said.

Intelligence, Diplomacy and Attacks

U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine had been briefly “blocked,” Zelenskyy said, leaving Ukraine without information about incoming ballistic missiles. It has since been “deblocked.” “We are very thankful for this,” he said. “Now it works.” A restriction on Ukraine’s use of Starshield, the military version of Starlink, remained in effect, he said. Ukrainian officials believed Elon Musk’s SpaceX made the decision following a “message from American government.” Asked whether Trump or Musk had directly made the decision, Zelenskyy said he didn’t know but thought “both” were involved.

Zelenskyy said he was due to speak with U.S. negotiators Sunday and still hoped to meet in the days ahead. He later said he had spoken with U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the results of an Oct. 9 meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Miami, as well as “next steps in diplomacy.”

Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia. Fires broke out at the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the city’s Ruchi oil depot, sending smoke Sunday above an oil export terminal and depot in St. Petersburg. Local Gov. Alexander Beglov said at least one person was killed and five were wounded. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, Crimea and the Black Sea.

In Ukraine, local officials said two Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia killed a woman and wounded at least two people, including a 6-year-old girl. Zelenskyy said strikes hit energy facilities in four Ukrainian regions overnight, leaving tens of thousands of families without power. He accused Russia of breaking Trump’s “energy ceasefire” 76 times and trying to deprive Ukrainians of heat and electricity before winter.