Trump Defends Russia Sanctions Waiver, Slams Zelensky
The trump defends russia sanctions fight opened a new front on Sunday as President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to defend his decision to waive key sanctions on Russia — and to accuse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of having little interest in ending the war. Trump said negotiations to end the four-year conflict were making “great progress,” but alleged Zelensky was reluctant to reach a deal.
“A Very Simple One”
“My decision on Russia is a very simple one,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.”
The post defended a string of recent pro-Moscow moves: the Friday executive order waiving Russia sanctions and tariffs that had been scheduled to take effect this week, a deal to buy Russian diesel, and pressure on Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries. Trump added that “great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations.”
Diesel Deal Tied to Iran
Trump also defended the diesel deal he struck with Vladimir Putin by tying it to Iran, arguing Moscow was helping the world by “sending, at a low price, millions of barrels of diesel to the World.” He wrote that “Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way, and will, unless stupid people get in the way.”
Zelensky Accused of Prolonging the War
The sharpest part of the post was aimed at Kyiv. Trump accused Zelensky of prolonging the war and claimed the Ukrainian leader had little interest in peace — alleging Zelensky was reluctant to reach a deal because of European financial support. The accusation landed a day after Zelensky called Friday’s waiver “wrong” and warned it “definitely helps only the Russians.”
Backlash From Both Sides of the Aisle
The Sunday statement follows days of bipartisan criticism. A dozen senators, Republicans and Democrats, have urged Trump to rescind the diesel deal, and Zelensky warned over the weekend that waiving sanctions would only encourage more Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities. Trump, speaking at a Florida fundraiser on Saturday, had already described the waiver as a positive decision for the United States and the world — and his Sunday post made clear he has no intention of reversing course.
Source: France 24