US president Donald Trump has signed an executive order that puts on hold a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy, telling Congress the pause was in the "national interest".
Trump personally approved the legislation just last month, and his move to block it came just two days before a deadline set in the law itself for its implementation. Named after late South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, it had sought to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fuelling the war against Ukraine.
Trump's unexpected decision comes a week after he stunningly said the US had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to try to bring down global energy prices, despite that potentially hurting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The US president also refused to say Russia's president Vladimir Putin was responsible for starting the war. When asked by reporters whether he had forgotten that it was Putin who invaded Russia's European neighbour, he suggested it was not that straightforward.
He said: “I know the details, OK, and at some point I’ll release the details. But I don’t care about anything except for one. I want that war ended.”
Russian attacks kill eight in Ukraine, cut power to over a million
Russian attacks killed at least eight people and injured 60 across Ukraine on Friday, hit two shopping centres and cut power to more than 1 million people after strikes on the energy grid, officials said.
A 71-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man died and 12 more people were wounded in attacks on three districts of the eastern city of Kharkiv, governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
He had earlier put the death toll at three. Further Russian strikes through the evening injured nine people, officials said.
Attacks in the frontline city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Region killed two people and two more were killed in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Region. Ukraine's energy ministry said its repair crews had returned power to over 1 million people who had lost it as a result of Russian attacks on Friday.
It was not clear how many were still without power.
Russia says it struck Ukrainian steel plants and power infrastructure overnight
Russia's defenceministry says it has carried out a large-scale overnight attack on Ukrainian infrastructure targets, including the country's largest steelworks in the city of Kryvyi Rih.
The plant is owned by steel giant ArcelorMittal, which suspended the facility's operations in September after a series of Russian ballistic missile strikes. In a statement, the ministry said the plant supplied steel products to the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.
It said Russian forces had also hit an electricity substation in the northwestern city of Zhytomyr and another steel plant in Zaporizhzhia, a city near the front line.
A cargo vessel in the Black Sea was also hit, it said, alleging that it was delivering military cargo to Ukraine's Odesa port.
Trump refuses to blame Russia for war
The US president has placed himself at loggerheads with the UK and other allies over the conflict by refusing to say president Vladimir Putin sparked the Ukraine war.
Britain and most other Nato members have been clear in blaming and condemning the Kremlin for the Ukraine conflict, triggered by Mr Putin ordering the invasion of the neighbouring nation in 2022.
But when Donald Trump was asked whether he had forgotten that it was the Russian leader who started the war, he did not respond directly and implied it was not straightforward.
He said: “I know the details, OK, and at some point I’ll release the details.”Mr Trump added: “But I don’t care anything except for one. I want that war ended.”
His comments, as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Georgia, came after he again rounded on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he was “not a big fan” and claiming he was “more difficult to deal with than Putin”.
Mr Trump previously suggested Ukraine needed a new leader and claimed Mr Putin wanted a peace deal more.
Russian air strike on Kherson kills ambulance driver and injures almost 20
A Russian air strike on Kherson in southern Ukraine killed one person and injured 19 others, governor Oleksandr Prokudin has said.
The person killed was an ambulance driver, and one child was among the injured, Prokudin said on Telegram.
At least 1,500 troops to participate in war exercises in Poland
At least 1,500 troops from Britain, France and Germany will take part in the war exercise next month, according to The Times, alongside Polish forces.
The wargames will simulate moving troops and supplies such as food and fuel, and was agreed at a coalition of the willing summit in July.
British troops to take part in major Ukraine-facing wargame next month
British troops are set to take part in a major wargame in Poland.
Defence secretary Wes Streeting announced that UK forces will take part in a “major exercise” while making his first visit to the US in the role.
Britain’s troops will join those from France and Germany in a drill which is aimed at ensuring Nato forces are ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees once the war is over.
Don Beyer calls on Congress to ensure full support for Ukraine
Democratic Virginia representative Don Beyer noted on social media shortly after the announcement of the sanctions being suspended that he and others had “warned" Trump might make such a move.
The veteran congressman, who spoke out against the bill as it was debated, called on Congress to “fix this flawed law to stop Donald Trump from capitulating to Vladimir Putin and ensure that it truly supports Ukraine”.
The White House did not immediately explain how pausing the sanctions was in the national interest.
The decision was posted on the White House website late in the evening, and the notification noted that the report explaining the decision had been submitted to Congress.
Sanctions were seen as part of Graham's legacy
Lindsey Graham, a close ally and friend of the president, had just returned from Ukraine when he unexpectedly died in July. He had advocated for stricter US sanctions against Russia as a way of pressuring it to end its war in Ukraine.
His colleagues in Congress responded with bipartisan support after his death and president Donald Trump attached his signature to the legislation — then changed his mind on Friday.
The package had been meant to starve Russian president Vladimir Putin of the resources Moscow needs to continue its war in Ukraine after invading its neighbour more than four years ago. The bill, also drafted by senator Richard Blumenthal, had sought to sanction Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers that keeps Russian energy moving.
It also directed Trump to impose up to 100 per cent tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15 per cent of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.
Trump puts new Russia sanctions that he recently signed into law on hold, citing national interest
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order that puts on hold a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy, telling Congress the pause was in the national interest.
Trump personally signed the legislation just last month and his move came just two days before a deadline set in the law itself for its implementation. Named after late South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, it had sought to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fueling the war against Ukraine.
Trump's unexpected decision comes a week after he stunningly said the US had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to try to bring down global energy prices, despite that potentially hurting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll published on 1 October found that Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the Iran war and blame him for higher prices. Trump's approval ratings have sunk to near-historic lows and pressure is mounting as Republicans try to hold control of both chambers of Congress after midterm elections on 3 November
Trump says Zelensky ‘not a good guy’ as Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian oil refineries
