WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that waived sweeping US sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia’s energy revenues, marking a new low in Washington’s ties with war-torn Ukraine.
The move came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU leaders to keep financing Kyiv’s fight with nearly $80 billion more next year, insisting he was standing up for his country as Trump’s support slumped.
The Lindsey Graham Act — named after the deceased US senator who sponsored the bill — had allowed Trump the authority to impose duties up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
The legislation, which Trump signed into law last month, targeted Russia’s energy and defense sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions.
Trump’s reversal on the Russia sanctions comes after he struck a deal with Putin to ease sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing large amounts of diesel into global markets.
The US president’s war in Iran has sparked crippling oil shortages and price spikes, creating major headwinds for his Republican Party ahead of midterm elections next month.
Asked if he was being made a scapegoat for Trump’s domestic woes ahead of the vote, Zelensky just smiled.
“This is my answer,” he told journalists in Brussels, after an extended pause.
In another sign of strained relations between the United States and Ukraine, Trump branded Kyiv’s actions a “disgrace” after Zelensky ordered his forces to resume strikes on Russian refineries.
“I defend the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people exclusively,” Zelensky said after talks with EU leaders.
The breakdown between Trump and Zelensky has fuelled fears that the US leader is siding with Moscow.
Those concerns have been heightened by disruptions to a critical US-provided satellite system that has hampered Ukraine’s ability to counter Russia’s intense bombardments.
Ukraine uses technology from Elon Musk’s SpaceX for battlefield communications, but the tech billionaire — a virulent Zelensky critic — said his company was not behind the disruption, while a US official denied any intervention by Trump.
‘Increase pressure’
European leaders put on a show of unity with Zelensky as he grappled with Trump.
“This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine. This is no time to relieve Russia’s sanctions,” European Council chief Antonio Costa said.
“Now it is time to increase our support, to increase our pressure.”
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said that “the situation in Ukraine is currently truly dire, with numerous Russian attacks and a tense relationship between Ukraine and the US.”
“It is crucial that we, as Europe, demonstrate our unconditional support for them today — and explore what additional steps we can take,” he said.
Zelensky asked the bloc — Ukraine’s biggest international backer — to provide more Patriot missiles to shoot down Russian missiles and come up with an extra 70 billion euros ($79 billion) in support next year to help Kyiv keep fighting.
Ukraine has been struggling to shoot down Russian missiles and has been left scrambling to boost defences ahead of winter, when temperatures can plummet to as low as -20C and Moscow’s attacks threaten electricity, heating and water systems.
Russian strikes on the southern cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia killed a 64-year-old man and at least 17 people, including an 11-year-old girl, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Zelensky’s 70-billion euro plea “has to be covered” and urged partner countries to “step in” and help.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv’s backers will analyse the demand, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the European Union will discuss it before the end of the year.