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Trump Defends Halting Russia Sanctions and Accuses Zelenskyy of Prolonging War
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News18•19-10-2026, 08:24
Trump Defends Halting Russia Sanctions and Accuses Zelenskyy of Prolonging War
- •US President Donald Trump defended his decision to ease sanctions on Russia to keep Moscow at the negotiating table.
- •Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the war, citing European financial support.
- •The remarks follow Trump signing an executive order putting a sweeping new sanctions package against Russia on hold.
- •Zelenskyy recently stated the war must end and reported ongoing diplomatic communications with Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
- •Amid the diplomatic friction, Ukraine launched a massive drone attack targeting Russian oil facilities and logistics centers.
Key Questions Answered
US President Donald Trump stated that he decided to hold back fresh sanctions on Russia to avoid jeopardizing ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the war and to prevent driving Russia away from the bargaining table.
Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one of its largest aerial attacks, which set an oil export terminal and an oil depot ablaze in St Petersburg, killed one person, and wounded five others.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the war must be brought to an end and mentioned that Ukraine was preparing for the next steps in diplomatic efforts, maintaining nonstop communication with American counterparts and speaking with Trump’s envoys.
