WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Oct 18 defended his decision to waive some sanctions on Russia, while once again accusing Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting to end the war.
“My decision on Russia is a very simple one. 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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The remarks come after Trump signed an executive order late on Oct 16 waiving broad new sanctions mandated by legislation named for the late US senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s defence.
Trump has also temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing large quantities to flow into global markets in a bid to lower fuel prices ahead of US elections early next month.
The diesel deal was met with shock by Kyiv and its allies, and sparked a feud between Trump and Zelensky that has seen their roller-coaster relationship plummet again.
“Great progress is being made” in talks on the war, “and that includes current hostage negotiations!” Trump said.
“Signing that document at this time will do that, and I can sign it later, or any time that I want!” he said, though it was unclear to what document he was referring.
Asked for more clarity on the statement, the White House did not immediately respond to AFP.
“Perhaps more importantly, 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,” Trump added.
He then reiterated his accusation that Ukraine was purposefully targeting Russian refineries to attempt to hurt the Republican Party in the Nov 3 midterm elections.
Polling shows Trump’s party heading for a likely drubbing in the elections, with many voters deeply upset by fuel costs, which have soared since the Iran war began in late February.
“Zelensky is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States,” Trump said.
“Zelensky doesn’t care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that Crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did,” he added. AFP