Ukrainian Leader Zelenskyy Reacts to Trump's Decision to Lift Russia Sanctions
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy criticized US President Trump's decision to lift sanctions and tariffs against Russia, stating that this step would embolden Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that US President Donald Trump's decision to exempt major Russia-related sanctions and tariffs days before they were set to take effect would embolden Moscow to continue its attacks on Ukraine.
In a decree issued on Friday night, US President Donald Trump lifted Russia-related US sanctions and tariffs that were scheduled to take effect the following week under the Graham Act, which he signed into law last month. The exemption decision covers taxes applied to Russian goods and penalties regarding the country's oil and gas purchases.
Evaluating the decision on his X account, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, 'Reversing and blocking all of this feels wrong to me. This definitely only benefits the Russians,' and predicted that further sanctions reductions might come from the US in the future. US President Trump, on the other hand, argued that the exemption decision was made in line with the national interests of the US.