What happened in this Geopolitics story?

Zelenskyy said Ukraine's war with Russia 'must be brought to an end' and is pursuing 'next steps' of diplomacy with US envoys Witkoff and Kushner, even as Trump waived expected Russia energy sanctions and Starshield access remains blocked.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Zelenskyy** said on X Sunday he spoke with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Ukraine is preparing 'next steps' of diplomacy, calling Washington ties 'virtually nonstop' despite a public fallout with Trump.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Trump** on Saturday waived expected sanctions targeting Russia's energy economy, days after calling renewed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure 'a disgrace.'

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Zelenskyy Pursues Diplomacy as Trump Waives Russia Sanctions — SkimNews

By Al Jazeera · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-10-18

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Zelenskyy said on X Sunday he spoke with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Ukraine is preparing 'next steps' of diplomacy, calling Washington ties 'virtually nonstop' despite a public fallout with Trump.
Trump on Saturday waived expected sanctions targeting Russia's energy economy, days after calling renewed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure 'a disgrace.'
Zelenskyy told NBC he was 'thankful' the US resumed intelligence sharing after a multi-day pause during which Ukraine 'didn't get it during ballistic attacks during three days.'
Marco Rubio confirmed Ukraine is currently blocked from Starshield, with Kyiv's request to use it for attacks deep inside Russia 'under discussion'; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Zelenskyy 'very reckless' for accusing the US of throttling connectivity after Elon Musk said such restrictions were the US government's responsibility.
Russia struck western Volyn near the Polish border, killing two and injuring five, and killed a woman while injuring a six-year-old in Zaporizhzhia; Ukraine hit St Petersburg with its largest drone strike since 2022, targeting an oil refinery and depot, an Ozon warehouse, and a VKontakte data centre.

Why it matters: Trump is simultaneously waiving Russia energy sanctions, blocking Starshield, and allowing a three-day intelligence pause — actions Zelenskyy said left Ukraine blind to ballistic missile attacks. Yet Zelenskyy still describes 'virtually nonstop' talks with US envoys, exposing the contradiction: Ukraine is negotiating a war's end while Washington quietly dismantles the battlefield tools that enabled strikes like the St Petersburg drone attack.