Trump administration defends Russia sanctions waiver as Zelenskyy condemns move
publishers 29articles 30first reported 16 Oct, 16:45 UTCdeveloping since 16 Oct · 10 editionstop 25 #24
US President Donald Trump’s administration defended its decision to waive key Russia-related sanctions and tariffs after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the move would encourage further Russian aggression.
Trump signed an executive order Friday suspending provisions that were due to take effect under sanctions legislation enacted in September. The measures included duties on Russian goods and penalties targeting major buyers of Russian oil and gas. Trump said the waiver was in the national interests of the United States.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration had invoked a 60-day pause to assess developments and that only an embargo on Russian diesel had been lifted. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said allowing Russian diesel onto global markets was intended as an incentive for Moscow to reduce the conflict and would help lower energy prices. Trump said Russia would supply 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, followed by larger shipments.
Zelenskyy called the decisions “wrong” and “dangerous,” arguing that they would benefit Russia without meaningfully reducing US energy prices. He said the action emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin and would fuel further attacks. Zelenskyy also reported that Russia struck more than 15 Ukrainian power generation and transmission sites Friday and warned that Moscow could intensify strikes in western Ukraine.
Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the waiver as a “truly historic moment,” saying the planned penalties could have halted economic co-operation between Russia and the United States.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 2 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 2 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 44 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 29
- Source articles
- 30
- Given to the writer
- 2, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 2
- This version written
- 44 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →