Trump defends Russia sanctions waiver as Zelenskyy rift deepens
US President Donald Trump defended his decision to waive key provisions of recent sanctions on Russia, saying in an executive order that the waiver was in the US national interest. The order waived requirements to raise duties on Russian goods by up to 500 per cent and to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on China, India and other buyers of Russian energy, and followed a decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel. Trump also criticised President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Ukrainian drones struck a major oil terminal and other targets in St Petersburg after an energy ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow collapsed.
Why it matters: The waiver shows sanctions being used as a bargaining instrument in the Russia-Ukraine war, with energy-market effects central to the decision.