Donald Trump has temporarily waived several US sanctions on Russia two days before they were due to take effect, deepening a dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Congress passed the measures and Trump signed them into law in September. An executive order issued on Friday night said suspending some provisions was in the US national interest. The law included potential tariffs of up to 100% on imports from major buyers of Russian oil and gas, as well as sanctions targeting senior Russian figures, financial institutions and vessels used to evade existing restrictions.
Zelensky criticised the decision, while US lawmakers also objected. Relations between Washington and Kyiv had already worsened after a US deal to import Russian diesel and Ukraine's accusation that the Trump administration had withdrawn key military support. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the waiver, arguing that the sanctions would have harmed the US and global markets.
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