The late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a leading proponent of sanctions on Russia, and Donald Trump (Andrew Harnik/AP/File)
EA-Frontline VideoCast: Allying with Putin, Trump Betrays Ukraine
Friday’s Coverage: White House Ordered Restriction of Starlink to Kyiv
UPDATE 0723 GMT:
Semyon Krasotkin, a 27-year-old mathematician and journalist from Moscow, has been imprisoned on treason charges over “stars” on Telegram posts.
The paid reactions, found by border guards at Domodedovo Airport on Krasotkin’s phone, were worth 2,200 rubles ($26) in Telegram’s virtual currency. One source said receipients included a Ukrainian Telegram meme channel that was probably raising money for Kyiv’s armed forces.
UPDATE 0714 GMT:
Ukraine’s air defenses downed four Kalibr cruise missiles and 289 of 332 drones, 31 of them jet-powered, launched by Russia overnight.
Strikes were recorded at 22 locations. Power was cut off in Vinnytsia in western Ukraine.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Donald Trump has refused to implement new sanctions on Russia, mandated by the US Congress last month.
Trump issued a waiver on Thursday, just before the 30-day deadline to act on the legislation. The bill increases the duty on goods from Russia by 500%. It imposes 100% on goods from the top five countries importing crude oil and natural gas originating in Russia, and on the top five helping Russia evade sanctions.
There is an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce the purchases.
The bill was named after Sen. Lindsey Graham, a leading proponent and a long-time ally of Trump, who passed away suddenly in July.
Urgewald, an NGO that monitors fossil fuel companies, reports that 42 tankers transported Russian gas between the passage of the sanctions bill on September 18 and October 15.
The waiver comes a week after Trump scuttled existing US sanctions by announcing a deal to purchase Russia’s diesel fuel. Trump said Russia will supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel this month, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November, 1 million tons “immediately thereafter”, and 3 million tons “within a short period of time” after that.
On Thursday, Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a bill blocking the import of the Russian diesel.
The Prohibit Corrupt Russia Oil Deals Act bans the US International Development Finance Corporation from investing in Russian energy products and mandates that the White House impose sanctions on Russian fuel. It nullifies the general licenses issued by the Treasury, including last Friday after Trump’s announcement, and prohibits any future licenses.
Meeks said:
This deal won’t lower costs for the American people, who are already paying for Trump’s failed war of choice in Iran.
So far 16 Democrats and Republican Rep. Don Bacon have co-sponsored the bill.
