'Sanctions relief will continue...': Zelenskyy warns Trump’s relief move is a reward for Putin

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has slammed Donald Trump’s decision to roll back sanctions on Russia as a direct "reward" for Vladimir Putin, warning it will embolden the Kremlin and intensify the war just as Moscow unleashes one of its worst-ever strikes on Ukraine’s power plants to black out cities ahead of winter.

In a series of posts on X (formally twitter), Zelenskyy voiced frustration over the unwinding of the bipartisan sanctions package, known as the Lindsey Graham Act. Named after the late senator who strongly championed Kyiv, the legislation had successfully passed both chambers of Congress to introduce aggressive measures, including a 100% tariff on major importers of Russian oil like China and India, alongside hard-hitting restrictions on Russia’s energy sector, financial institutions, and shadow tanker fleet.

“Sanctions relief will continue. I think the diesel deal and the move regarding the Lindsey Graham Act are not the end of it. Unfortunately,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Recalling his deep relationship with the late senator, Zelenskyy added: “It’s unfortunate because we all had great respect for Lindsey. He devoted his life to America... And now, the decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me. And it definitely helps only the Russians. It only fuels their satisfaction and their desire to keep killing people. This certainly does not stop the war.”

The Ukrainian leader also warned of expanding regional threats, noting that Russia is placing relay stations on Belarusian territory to build a drone corridor targeting western Ukraine, and is seeking Alexander Lukashenko’s support to deploy ballistic missiles. Doing so, he cautioned, would directly and dangerously draw Belarus into the conflict.

Addressing the diplomatic track, Zelenskyy stressed that Washington must keep its pressure focused on Moscow rather than Kyiv. He confirmed that Ukraine is ready to negotiate anywhere and in any format—two-way, three-way, or multi-party — with signals indicating a possible meeting with American officials next week.

Moreover, he noted that European infrastructure and separate tracks involving Türkiye’s President Erdoğan and Middle Eastern nations are being pursued for food and sea security. Regarding a potential trilateral meeting with Putin facilitated by the US, Zelenskyy mentioned proposals for venues in the Middle East — such as the UAE or Saudi Arabia — or during the G20 summit, though no final confirmation has been given by Russia or the US.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced a hold on the sweeping sanctions package, telling Congress that pausing the legislation was in the national interest as part of an effort to reduce tensions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the waiver is a 60-day pause intended to evaluate the broader economic impact. “The president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyse what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the US economy,” Rubio said, noting that the restrictions affect multiple nations beyond just Russia.