Trump’s sanctions waiver ‘rewards’ Putin: Zelenskiy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said US President Donald Trump’s decision to block Russian sanctions “rewards” Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump signed an executive order that waived sweeping US sanctions targeting Russia’s energy revenues, and Zelenskiy said the decision came the same day as Russia attacked 15 critical power generation facilities across Ukraine. Zelenskiy warned that Russia is trying to leave millions of Ukrainians without electricity and heating before winter.
Why it matters: The waiver bears directly on the briefing’s sanctions theme, because it eases measures targeting Russia’s energy revenues while Zelenskiy links the relief to continued strikes on Ukraine’s power grid.