Trump waives several Russia sanctions as row with Zelensky intensifies

Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday suspending several congressionally mandated sanctions against Russia set to take effect two days later, citing U.S. national interest. The move prompted backlash from lawmakers across both parties and deepened tensions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said the suspension undermined efforts to pressure Russia to end the war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the 60-day pause would allow analysis of the sanctions' economic impact on the U.S. and global markets.

Relations between Washington and Kyiv have deteriorated following the U.S. import deal for Russian diesel and Trump's assertion that Zelensky was "more difficult to deal with" than Putin. The suspended sanctions package, passed by Congress in September, included tariffs up to 100% on major purchasers of Russian oil and gas, measures against senior Russian officials and financial institutions, and restrictions on Russia's shadow fleet.

Critics from both parties, including Republican Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn and Democrats like Virginia Congressman Don Beyer, opposed the suspension. Zelensky said the sanctions "could have helped enormously" pressure Russia, particularly after overnight Russian attacks on 15 Ukrainian energy facilities caused widespread power cuts.