Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision to waive planned sanctions and tariffs against Russia, warning that the move could encourage further Russian aggression and prolong the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskiy made the remarks on Saturday in a post on X, saying the decision to suspend the measures would benefit Moscow rather than help end the conflict.
“The decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me,” he wrote. “It definitely helps only the Russians.”
Trump issued an executive order on Friday waiving key Russia-related sanctions and tariffs that were due to take effect next week under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which he signed into law in September.
The measures included tariffs on Russian goods and penalties targeting countries purchasing Russian oil and gas. Trump said the waiver was in the national interest of the United States.
Zelenskiy said the decision could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and encourage further attacks on Ukraine. He also accused Russian forces of striking more than 15 electricity generation and transmission facilities on Friday.
The Ukrainian leader expressed concern that Russia was preparing to intensify attacks in western Ukraine, adding that the sanctions waiver would not bring the war to an end.
Russia’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, welcomed the decision, describing it as a “truly historic moment”. He said the measures could have effectively halted economic cooperation between Russia and the United States.
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The legislation was intended to increase pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022. It provided for tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from major buyers of Russian oil and gas, as well as penalties for countries knowingly purchasing Russian energy or helping Moscow evade sanctions.
However, the law allows the US president to waive the measures if he determines that they are not in the national interest. Trump’s executive order said the waiver would remain in effect until he or senior officials decided further action was appropriate.
The proposed measures had raised concerns in China and India, two major buyers of Russian oil, over their potential economic and diplomatic consequences.
US Representative Don Beyer, a Democrat, accused Trump of yielding to Putin, saying the decision undermined Ukraine and the intention of Congress to punish Russia for its invasion.
Zelenskiy also lamented the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation’s principal congressional supporter, saying his absence made efforts to sustain bipartisan support for Ukraine more difficult.
The Ukrainian president predicted that the latest waiver and an earlier agreement involving diesel exports could signal further sanctions relief for Russia under the Trump administration.
