US President Donald Trump has blocked numerous sanctions on Russia two days before they were due to take effect, even though Congress passed them and he signed them into law in September. In an executive order issued Friday night, he said suspending some was in the US "national interest", drawing criticism from US lawmakers, including Democrat Don Beyer, who accused him of capitulating to Moscow. US–Ukraine relations had already frayed after a controversial deal to import Russian diesel and Ukraine's accusation that Washington withdrew key military support. The new law allowed tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India, but many of its provisions have now been waived. Trump also called Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace", while Starlink's sudden limit on drone flight speeds disrupted Kyiv's battlefield missions.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Read the original on dailymirror.lk ↗
Keywords
sanctionsRussiaUkrainegeopolitics
Open a keyword to see other news on the same topic.
Related news
- Ukraine launches 1,015 drones at Russia; Trump tells Zelensky 'don't wreck the talks' – Putin takes a hard line
Overnight on October 17, Ukraine launched one of the largest drone attacks on Russia this year, targeting an oil facility despite a request from US President Donald Trump to stop hitting Russian energy infrastructure. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight into October 18, and that the St. Petersburg oil port, an Ozon logistics center and a VKontakte data center were among the targets. Trump criticized Zelensky for not wanting to end the war, while Zelensky said US siding with Russia would be a 'historic mistake' and noted that US intelligence sharing had been paused for three days. Trump also lifted sanctions on Russian diesel imports, and Zelensky said Russia had attacked Ukrainian energy sites 76 times since the energy ceasefire was announced.
- US President Trump says Ukraine's leader does not want to end conflict with Russia
US President Donald Trump defended his decision to waive some sanctions on Russia and said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not sincere about ending the war. Trump suspended a new Russia sanctions law by executive order and temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing large volumes of Russian oil into global markets before the November 3 election. He accused Zelensky of targeting Russian diesel refineries, which hurts the global diesel market including the US, while polls suggest Trump's Republican Party risks heavy losses over soaring fuel prices. Zelensky said he felt betrayed by Trump after Ukraine launched a drone attack on an oil depot in St. Petersburg in the early hours of October 18, despite Trump's request to stop hitting Russian energy facilities. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Zelensky has no desire for a peace deal.
- Putin reportedly suggests summit with Trump and Xi to decide fate of Ukraine
According to the Wall Street Journal, citing a former Russian intelligence officer, Vladimir Putin reportedly proposed a summit with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to end the Ukraine war, without Zelenskyy and unconfirmed. The report comes as European allies and some Republicans voice alarm over the U.S. temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports, which Zelenskyy said seems wrong. Trump's “energy ceasefire” announced on October 11 did not stop Moscow's strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure, and Ukraine paused its strikes for three days before resuming them. Kyiv also accused Washington of restricting Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, cutting connectivity for fast platforms such as interceptor drones; Trump denied the White House ordered this, while Elon Musk said Starshield is controlled by the U.S. government.
- Oil Futures Likely to React to Ukraine’s Attack on Russian Oil, Lifting of Diesel Sanctions
- Richard Branson Condemns Trump Policy on Russia , Urges European Aid
Billionaire Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, used a LinkedIn post on Oct. 18 to criticize Trump's Russia policy, arguing that easing energy sanctions on Moscow and restricting technical support to Kyiv compromise Western security. He objected to a commercial diesel deal with Russia, which he said injects revenue into Moscow's budget during active fighting, and to limits on Ukrainian forces, including delayed missile warnings and throttling of Starshield. Branson urged European leaders to provide decisive military and financial support to Ukraine, including using frozen Russian assets and delivering Germany's Taurus missiles. The appeal comes as EU leaders asked the European Commission to draft proposals to cover Ukraine's projected €70 billion ($79 billion) shortfall for 2027, potentially using proceeds from roughly €210 billion in immobilized Russian sovereign assets.
- Trump waives several Russia sanctions
Trump has blocked numerous Russia sanctions two days before they were due to take effect, deepening his row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The sanctions were passed by Congress and signed into law by Trump in September, but his executive order on Friday night said suspending some was in the US 'national interest', drawing backlash from US lawmakers. Ties with Kyiv have frayed after the US struck a controversial deal to import Russian diesel, and Ukraine accused the administration of withdrawing key military support. The law gave Trump power to levy tariffs of up to 100% on the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas, mainly China and India, and targeted Putin, Russian banks and the 'shadow fleet', but many of these provisions are now waived. Democrats including Virginia Congressman Don Beyer accused Trump of capitulating to Moscow and betraying Ukraine.
Related markets
Latest news
- TRX Gold to Present at Red Cloud's Fall Mining Showcase 2026
TRX Gold will present at Red Cloud's Fall Mining Showcase 2026, an in-person conference at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto on October 28 and 29, 2026. Stephen Mullowney is scheduled to present on Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM Eastern. The release describes the company as a gold producer advancing the Buckreef Gold Project in Tanzania, which includes an established open pit and a 2,000 tonnes per day plant. The May 2025 PEA outlines average annual gold production of 62,000 oz over 17.6 years.
- Tesla Stock vs. the S&P 500: Which Investment Wins Through 2030?
The article argues Tesla trades at roughly 203 times this year's expected earnings and 13 times expected sales, a valuation that looks very expensive given gross margin pressure and a slower-than-expected robotaxi rollout. The flying Roadster, slated for production in 2028, is unlikely to make a meaningful sales or earnings contribution before 2030. The author thinks a Tesla-SpaceX merger by the end of the decade, likely an all-stock deal, is more likely than not and would be a key factor in how Tesla stock performs against the S&P 500 through 2030.
- SpaceX surprises Wall Street with Oct. 20 earnings date — here's why
SpaceX (SPCX) will release earnings on Oct. 20 after the market close, a surprise since earnings dates are usually shared weeks in advance. Evercore ISI analyst Kutgun Maral says possible reasons include putting updated financials on record before new financing or getting ahead of major lock-up releases, though scheduling is also possible. Reuters reported SpaceX is seeking $40 billion in financing to buy advanced Nvidia AI chips, including about $10 billion in bank loans and $30 billion in investment-grade debt, with Apollo expected to lead. The lock-up schedule includes 1.30 billion shares two days after earnings, 329 million on 10/24, and a remaining 857 million tranche of the 180-day group.
- AEP Partners with Amazon and X-energy to Explore Advanced Nuclear Energy in Indiana
American Electric Power (AEP) has announced a joint development agreement with X-energy to evaluate the feasibility of a 960-megawatt advanced nuclear project at a former coal plant site in Sullivan County, Indiana. Amazon is supporting development through a funding agreement. If the project reaches a final investment decision and is built, Amazon intends to buy the power under a long-term contract covering the facility's costs and operations. The initial project would include 12 Xe-100 units of 80 MW each, and the companies say it could create jobs, expand the local tax base and strengthen the grid for more than 60 years. AEP says the agreements include the financial safeguards it considers essential for any nuclear project to move forward.
- Talamore Marks One Year at Coffee with Major Advances Toward a 2027 Construction Decision
Talamore Mining marks one year since closing its acquisition of the Coffee Gold Project in Yukon, Canada, from Newmont Corporation on October 17, 2025. The company has assembled a financing package of up to C$688 million, including a C$149.5 million equity offering, a C$450 million secured project debt facility and up to C$88 million from a warrant early-exercise program. A primary road permit received in August 2026 allows completion of the 214-kilometre Northern Access Route from Dawson City. The February 2026 Preliminary Economic Assessment outlined a 13-year open-pit heap leach mine with an after-tax NPV (5%) of US$2.3 billion and an after-tax IRR of 47.8%. G Mining Services is completing the Feasibility Study, expected in Q1 2027, ahead of a construction decision targeted for the first half of 2027.
- Tiger Gold Extends Mineralization to the South at Ceibal, Drilling 268 m @ 0.5 g/t Au from Surface
Tiger Gold reported assay results from hole CEDDH-023 at its Ceibal target within the Quinchía Gold Project in Colombia. The hole intersected 268 metres grading 0.5 g/t Au from surface, extending mineralization south into a previously untested part of the corridor. Mineralization remains open to the west and southwest, where additional holes are testing for extension, and assays from Ceibal and Tesorito are pending. The drilling is intended to support a maiden Mineral Resource estimate, targeted for near the end of Q1 2027.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.