President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that waived sweeping US sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia’s energy revenues, marking a new low in Washington’s ties with war-torn Ukraine.
asserted
that → sign → Ukraine
The move came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU leaders to keep financing Kyiv’s fight with nearly $80 billion more next year, insisting he was standing up for his country as Trump’s support slumped.
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support → come → country
The Lindsey Graham Act — named after the deceased US senator who sponsored the bill — had allowed Trump the authority to impose duties up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
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who → name → oil
The legislation, which Trump signed into law last month, targeted Russia’s energy and defense sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions.
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Trump → sign → sanctions
Trump’s reversal on the Russia sanctions comes after he struck a deal with Putin to ease sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing large amounts of diesel into global markets.
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Moscow → come → markets
The US president’s war in Iran has sparked crippling oil shortages and price spikes, creating major headwinds for his Republican Party ahead of midterm elections next month.
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war → spark → elections
Asked if he was being made a scapegoat for Trump’s domestic woes ahead of the vote, Zelensky just smiled.
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Zelensky → ask → vote
“This is my answer,” he told journalists in Brussels, after an extended pause.
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he → tell → pause
In another sign of strained relations between the United States and Ukraine, Trump branded Kyiv’s actions a “disgrace” after Zelensky ordered his forces to resume strikes on Russian refineries.
“I defend the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people exclusively,” Zelensky said after talks with EU leaders.
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Zelensky → brand → leaders
The breakdown between Trump and Zelensky has fuelled fears that the US leader is siding with Moscow.
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leader → fuel → Moscow
Those concerns have been heightened by disruptions to a critical US-provided satellite system that has hampered Ukraine’s ability to counter Russia’s intense bombardments.
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that → heighten → bombardments
Ukraine uses technology from Elon Musk’s SpaceX for battlefield communications, but the tech billionaire — a virulent Zelensky critic — said his company was not behind the disruption, while a US official denied any intervention by Trump.
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official → use → Trump
‘Increase pressure’
European leaders put on a show of unity with Zelensky as he grappled with Trump.
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he → increase → Trump
“This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine.
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This → withdraw → Ukraine
This is no time to relieve Russia’s sanctions,” European Council chief Antonio Costa said.
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Costa → relieve → sanctions
“Now it is time to increase our support, to increase our pressure.”
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it → increase → pressure
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said that “the situation in Ukraine is currently truly dire, with numerous Russian attacks and a tense relationship between Ukraine and the US.”
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situation → say → Ukraine
“It is crucial that we, as Europe, demonstrate our unconditional support for them today – and explore what additional steps we can take,” he said.
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he → demonstrate → steps
Zelensky asked the bloc — Ukraine’s biggest international backer — to provide more Patriot missiles to shoot down Russian missiles and come up with an extra 70 billion euros ($79 billion) in support next year to help Kyiv keep fighting.
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Kyiv → ask → support
Ukraine has been struggling to shoot down Russian missiles and has been left scrambling to boost defences ahead of winter, when temperatures can plummet to as low as -20C and Moscow’s attacks threaten electricity, heating and water systems.
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attacks → struggle → systems
Russian strikes on the southern cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia killed a 64-year-old man and at least 17 people, including an 11-year-old girl, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday.
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authorities → kill → girl
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Zelensky’s 70-billion euro plea “has to be covered” and urged partner countries to “step in” and help.
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plea → confirm → countries
French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv’s backers will analyse the demand, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the European Union will discuss it before the end of the year.
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Union → say → year
The EU is currently paying out instalments of a 90-billion-euro loan for Kyiv that was set to help cover funding to the end of 2027.
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that → pay → 2027
But Ukrainian authorities have warned they will still face a major budget black hole as Russian strikes have battered the country’s economy.
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strikes → warn → economy
The talks on new funding have reignited calls for the EU to tap around 200 billion euros in frozen Russian central bank assets to fund Ukraine.
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EU → reignite → Ukraine
That’s what should be used for supporting Ukraine,” said Latvian premier Andris Kulbergs.
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Kulbergs → ’ → Ukraine
But there seems little momentum on that front as Belgium, where most of the funds are held, remains opposed.
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most → seem → funds
The Aporia
