In brief
Trump’s unexpected decision to suspend upcoming sanctions on Russia has amplified tensions with Kyiv, as President Volodymyr Zelensky warns the move gives Moscow an advantage. Trump claims the pause will help keep Russia open to negotiations, while Russia’s envoy calls it historically significant. The United States has also begun importing Russian diesel, a step Ukrainian officials see as aiding the war. Amid criticism, concerns arise that sanctions relief could strengthen Russian influence, and Starlink service disruptions have further strained U.S.–Ukraine ties. The pause, set for 60 days, will be monitored for economic impact.
Former US President Donald Trump has announced a halt to several sanctions that were due to take effect against Russia, saying that the pause is intended to keep the Kremlin at the negotiating table and help forge peace in the Ukraine war.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: "I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine," and added that he did not want to "do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table."
The sanctions were blocked just before Friday night, two days before they were set to become active, amid a deepening row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who warned that siding with Moscow would be a "historic mistake."
Russia’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, called Trump’s order an "important and truly historic moment," arguing that the sanctions would have inflicted serious damage on the US and global markets.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the pause as a 60‑day experiment, during which the potential economic impact of lifting the sanctions would be analysed.
Trump also criticised Zelensky on Truth Social, suggesting that the Ukrainian leader "doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did" and that he could have struck a better deal two years earlier.
The move comes amid ongoing criticism from Ukraine and its European allies that the US imports Russian diesel to lower domestic energy prices, a step construed by Kyiv as an indirect support for Russia’s war effort.
Zelensky said the deal could be considered a "disgrace," while also noting that a temporary Russian diesel import might aid U.S. citizens fatigued by the Iran conflict.
Concerns about the US slowing Starlink, the satellite communications service, have also surfaced. Ukraine claimed the US linked the speed restrictions to technical issues but reported that Starlink operated at higher speeds on EU territory.
Trump has denied any deliberate slowdown of the network or withholding of defence intelligence.
The 60‑day pause will be closely watched for its economic repercussions against the backdrop of a fragile diplomatic landscape between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow.
