Zelensky warns US sanctions relief will embolden Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that US President Donald Trump's decision to waive sanctions against Russia will encourage further attacks on Ukraine, warning that the diesel deal and the Lindsey Graham Act waiver are likely not the end of such relief. Zelensky expressed concern in a post on X that sanctions relief will continue, referencing a deal where Russia would supply diesel in exchange for sanctions relief. He also praised the late US senator Lindsey Graham, who worked on the bill targeting Russia before his death this summer, saying Graham always supported Ukraine strongly and pushed for maximum assistance. Trump signed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in mid-September but waived some sanctions on Saturday, citing US national interests. The move drew bipartisan criticism from Congress, with Senator Thom Tillis calling it "beyond irresponsible" and Senator Elizabeth Warren accusing Trump of "enabling Vladimir Putin." The decision came two days after Zelensky refused Trump's demand to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries.