In brief
US President Donald Trump suspended a batch of sanctions on Russia, claiming the move is to keep the Kremlin in the diplomatic fold during ongoing peace talks. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials and raised doubts about a new U.S. diesel purchase deal with Russia. Russian officials declared the pause a historic gesture, warning it would dampen global markets. The ban's impact on U.S. foreign policy and the war in Ukraine remains uncertain as both sides weigh the costs of this diplomatic gambit.
Trump suspended multiple U.S. sanctions on Russia earlier Friday, saying the aim was to keep Moscow at the bargaining table as peace talks continue.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the former president added he did not want to drive Russia "foolishly" away from negotiations.
The sanctions were set to take effect two days after Trump blocked them, amid a growing rift between Washington and Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the move a “historical moment,” warning that lifting the restrictions would damage global markets.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the pause would last 60 days while analysts study its economic impact on the U.S. and the world.
Trump remarked on the post that Zelensky “doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did,” criticizing the Ukrainian leader’s diplomatic strategy.
Ukraine has repeatedly argued that stringent sanctions are essential to strip funding from Moscow’s war machine.
Critics also point to a July deal where the U.S. agreed to import Russian diesel to curb soaring energy costs, a stance that drew fire from Kyiv.
Concerns grew when the Trump administration allegedly slowed the Starlink satellite network used by Ukrainian forces, though officials cited technical issues and noted higher speeds tested in EU territory.
Trump has denied deliberate interference with Starlink or the sharing of defense intelligence.
