Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the revival of sanctions against Russia, urging Kyiv’s allies to express their support for the measures. This comes after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting a set of sanctions intended to target the Russian economy, which were due to take effect on Sunday.
Zelensky lamented Trump’s decision on social media, describing it as unfortunate but refraining from directly criticising the president. He stressed that the sanctions, known as the Lindsey Graham Act, would have exerted significant pressure on Russia to end its ongoing war.
Lawmakers across the US Congress, from both major parties, voiced strong disapproval of Trump’s executive order. Republican Senator Thom Tillis stated it was “beyond irresponsible,” while Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, claimed the pause was necessary to assess the economic implications of the sanctions due to rising energy prices and the situation in Iran.
In a separate statement, Zelensky thanked both Democrats and Republicans who supported the sanctions, asserting that blocking them would embolden Russia in its aggression. He expressed hope that the US president would take decisive action to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease attacks and resolve the conflict.
This package of sanctions had been nearly a year in the making, aimed at imposing hefty tariffs on countries importing significant quantities of Russian oil to disrupt funding for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
