In brief
US President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended a range of Russian sanctions, citing the need to keep Russia at the negotiating table for peace talks in Ukraine. The move, announced on Truth Social, arrived just before the sanctions were set to take effect and amid a flare in tensions between Zelensky and Moscow. Russian officials have called the decision historic and warned of serious economic damage. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the pause will be monitored for 60 days to gauge its impact on the global economy.
US President Donald Trump has announced a temporary suspension of a series of Russian sanctions.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the pause is intended to keep Russia in the “bargaining table” for peace negotiations amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The decision came two days before the sanctions were scheduled to take effect, at a time of escalating tensions between President Zelensky and Moscow.
While Trump describes the move as “an effort to keep peace negotiations going,” Russian officials have called the order historic and warned of serious economic damage.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later explained that the U.S. will monitor the impact of the pause for 60 days, assessing its effect on the global economy.
Zelensky, who has been pushing for stringent sanctions to cut off financial support to Russia, criticised the U.S. decision to dismantle sanction measures and warned that the move amounts to a form of aid to Russia’s war effort.
The U.S. deal to import Russian diesel last week, which further strained ties with Kyiv, was a key factor in the decision and raised concerns about energy security and national security—including a reported slowdown of Ukrainian Starlink services.
The U.S. remains in a delicate position as it seeks to balance pressure on Russia with efforts to avoid escalating the conflict.
