Trump defends Russia sanctions waiver to protect talks

President Donald Trump said October 18 that he delayed new sanctions on Russia to avoid disrupting negotiations over the war in Ukraine, while accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of obstructing peace and harming diesel markets. Trump offered no public details or timeline for the progress he said talks had made, and his claims about Zelenskyy’s intentions and the effects of Ukrainian strikes were not independently substantiated in the supplied reporting. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was negotiating peace and did not want to push Moscow away from the bargaining table. He also cited progress in hostage negotiations and said he could sign the sanctions document later. Trump accused Ukraine of targeting Russian diesel refineries and said the strikes were affecting markets in the United States, including costs for farmers, ranchers and businesses. The White House order behind the waiver was signed late October 16. It set aside specified new sanctions, duties and restrictions under the 2026 Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, but did not remove earlier sanctions imposed under prior executive orders. Separately, a Treasury Department license...