Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Amid Deepening Rift with Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump are locked in a deepening diplomatic rift in October 2026, marked by Trump's policy shifts favoring Russia and Zelenskyy's increasingly vocal criticism[1]. This comes as Russian forces intensify aerial attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, causing widespread power outages[1].

This growing strain between Ukraine and its primary international backer could impact the ongoing war, affecting military aid, sanctions, and peace negotiations. U.S. policy changes have direct implications for Ukraine's defense and global energy markets.

What the records show

On October 16, 2026, Russia launched substantial aerial strikes across nine Ukrainian regions, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of households and wounding at least 15 people[1]. These attacks targeted civilian energy infrastructure[1]. Concurrently, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on the same day, waiving newly enacted sanctions against Russia[8][9][11]. This order suspended tariffs and penalties for countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, with Trump citing “national interests”[8][10][12]. The bipartisan Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed by Trump on September 18, 2026, was affected[9][11][10]. Earlier in October, Trump's administration also waived sanctions on Russian diesel sales until April 2027 to curb surging energy prices[8].

The timeline

On October 11, 2026, President Trump criticized President Zelenskyy, blaming him for high diesel prices[7]. Zelenskyy responded that only Russia bears responsibility for the war[7]. On October 16, Russia conducted aerial strikes, and Trump waived sanctions[1][8][9][11]. By October 19, Trump defended his actions on Truth Social[6]. On October 20, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with President Zelenskyy in Oslo[3][4]. Ukrainian officials noted Zelenskyy's public criticism was a deliberate strategic choice[2]. On October 21, Witkoff traveled to St. Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, joined virtually by Jared Kushner, to present a new peace proposal[13][14]. During this visit, Putin announced the release of American teacher Stephen Hubbard, with Trump claiming credit[5].

What changed

U.S. policy shifted from bipartisan sanctions against Russia to waivers, impacting global energy markets[8][9][10]. Ukraine, through President Zelenskyy, moved to open criticism of U.S. policy decisions[2][7]. Diplomatic efforts intensified with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff engaging in shuttle diplomacy between Zelenskyy and Putin[3][4][13]. The BBC noted Trump and Zelenskyy appeared “at loggerheads,” with Ukrainian “misgivings about US policy” persisting[3].

What the subject has said publicly

President Trump stated on Truth Social on October 19, 2026, that his decision on Russia was to “negotiate Peace” and not “drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table”[6]. He also claimed, “Zelenskyy doesn't care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him … he doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did”[6]. President Zelenskyy had stated on October 11, 2026, that “only Russia bears responsibility for the war in Ukraine”[7].

What we could not confirm

We could not confirm the specific terms of the updated proposal for ending the conflict in Ukraine that Steve Witkoff presented to Vladimir Putin[13][14]. The exact nature of the “misgivings about US policy towards his country” held by the Ukrainian side was also not detailed[3].