Trump defends Russian sanctions relief, lashes out at Zelenskyy — SkimNews
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- Trump defended his decision to block numerous Russia sanctions on Truth Social, arguing he did not want to "foolishly" drive Moscow away from peace negotiations days before they were set to take effect.
- Trump accused Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the war, claiming Kyiv was striking Russian diesel refineries despite knowing it was "seriously hurting the world diesel markets" and citing European financial support as motive.
- Zelenskyy told NBC's Meet the Press that waiving sanctions "will hurt Ukraine" and strengthen Putin's war effort, calling Putin a "terrorist" and saying he hoped Trump would be "very clear with this position."
- Zelenskyy said he had spoken with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as part of "virtually non-stop communication" aimed at "next steps in diplomacy."
- On October 9, Trump announced plans for Russia to supply more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to US and global markets, a move triggered by fuel price spikes after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israel war on Iran.
- Russia and Ukraine continued striking each other's energy sites, with Moscow leaving thousands without power and Kyiv carrying out its largest drone attack on Russia — in St Petersburg — since the war began.
- Trump's embrace of Russian energy has drawn anger not only from Kyiv but from European partners and US officials who say the move rewards Moscow during a four-and-a-half-year war.
Why it matters: Trump is simultaneously waiving sanctions pressure on Russia while purchasing over 300,000 metric tonnes of Russian diesel — moves that reward a country waging a four-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy's continued engagement with envoys Witkoff and Kushner, even as Kyiv launched its largest-ever drone attack on St Petersburg, shows the diplomatic channel is open but the underlying war is escalating, not de-escalating.
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