Trump defends Russia sanctions waiver and accuses Zelensky of rejecting peace

Trump said the waiver is meant to preserve negotiations, while Zelensky warned it would strengthen Putin’s war effort.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 19 Oct 2026 04:48:40 GMT

U.S. President Donald Trump defended his decision to waive most new sanctions on Russia on Sunday, saying the move is intended to keep Moscow at the bargaining table, and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting to end the war.

What happened

On October 16, Trump signed an executive order that temporarily suspended the broad sanctions package mandated by the Lindsey Graham‑named legislation. The waiver includes a temporary lift on Russian diesel exports, which Trump said is intended to lower fuel prices ahead of the upcoming U.S. election. The decision was posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform on October 19, where he repeated that his “decision on Russia is a very simple one” and that he is “in the process of negotiating peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine.”

What the reports add

Al Jazeera reported that Trump made the comments in response to criticism that the waiver would “hurt Ukraine” and strengthen Vladimir Putin’s war effort, citing Zelensky’s remarks on NBC’s Meet the Press. France 24 added that the waiver was signed after an executive order late on Friday and noted that the White House did not immediately respond to AFP when asked for clarification about a document Trump referenced in his statement. Both outlets quoted Trump’s Truth Social post verbatim, but France 24 also reported that Trump claimed “great progress is being made” in talks, including “current hostage negotiations,” a detail not mentioned by Al Jazeera.

What was said

Trump wrote on Truth Social, “My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.” (Al Jazeera; France 24)

Zelensky told NBC’s Meet the Press that waiving sanctions “will hurt Ukraine” and would “strengthen Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort.” (Al Jazeera)

The White House declined to comment when France 24 asked for clarification about the “document” Trump referenced. (France 24)

How it came about

Trump’s waiver follows a series of escalating tensions between the White House and Kyiv. On October 16, he paused the bipartisan sanctions package, prompting Zelensky to call the move “unfortunate” and urge U.S. citizens to support the sanctions in a Felo News article published on October 17 (Zelenskyy urges US sanctions support). The next day, Felo reported Zelensky’s warning that the waiver would fuel Putin’s war (Zelensky says US sanctions waiver fuels Putin’s war). Republican criticism also surfaced, with Senator Thom Tillis describing the decision as “beyond irresponsible” in Felo’s coverage on October 18 (Trump waives most new Russia sanctions, drawing bipartisan criticism).

Key facts

Trump signed an executive order on Oct. 16 waiving most new Russian sanctions. (france24.com)
Trump posted on Truth Social on Oct. 19 defending the waiver as a peace‑building measure. (aljazeera.com)
Zelensky told NBC’s Meet the Press the waiver would hurt Ukraine and aid Putin. (aljazeera.com)
The waiver includes a temporary lift on Russian diesel exports. (france24.com)