Zelensky Presses for Paused Russia Sanctions as US Seeks Putin Summit
Volodymyr Zelensky urged supporters to speak out for the US sanctions package Donald Trump paused hours earlier, saying Washington had chosen to “completely disregard the Lindsey Graham Act”. He disclosed that Rustem Umerov, Kyiv’s lead negotiator, met Jared Kushner on Friday, and that the US was working to arrange a three-way meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Middle East, Europe or America.
The law, which Trump signed last month, targets Russian officials, banks and the shadow tanker fleet, and directs tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top importers of Russian oil and gas; the waiver landed two days before the implementation deadline. Senator Richard Blumenthal, its co-author, called the waivers “sucking up to Vladimir Putin”. Overnight Russia launched four cruise missiles and 332 drones, striking more than 15 energy sites. Kyiv is also investigating a sudden speed cap on Starshield terminals that slows its drones. A dozen senators, six of them Republicans, had urged Trump to impose the sanctions; expect that pressure to build before next month’s midterms.