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 1617 GMT:
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has commented further about the Trump camp’s moves to support Russia.
Unfortunately, the lifting of sanctions will continue, and I believe that the diesel deal is the first step. Unfortunately, it seems to me that this cannot stop Putin; on the contrary, he feels joy and happiness that he has such support.
The President posted:
A US sanctions blackout, easing pressure on the aggressor, financial rewards for Putin – all of this only encourages him to keep attacking. We must not give up ground.
We must keep trying to end the war. To end it, not give Putin every reason to continue it indefinitely.
UPDATE 1209 GMT:
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has commented on the latest Russian strikes, targeting more than 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities across the country.
It is important that our European partners have already prepared new support packages for Ukraine….And it is important that everyone in America also sees what is really happening.
Zelensky called on the US to implement the Graham Act for tougher sanctions on Russia after Donald Trump blocked it on Friday.
UPDATE 1204 GMT:
Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery has suspended operations at one of its main crude distillation units after a Ukrainian drone attack on Thursday.
The same unit was shut down after a drone strike in September. The refinery’s three other primary crude distillation units continue to operate.
UPDATE 0830 GMT:
Vladimir Putin’s senior financial advisor Kirill Dmitriev — the chief manipulator of Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — has hailed Trump’s refusal to implement the Congressional legislation mandating new sanctions on Russia.
We see that the Graham Act undoubtedly harms joint Russian-American projects and harms the role of Russia and the United States in restoring energy markets and working in global markets.
Dmitriev confirmed that the US Treasury asked the Russian Direct Investment Fund to help with the diesel deal, including processing payments and resolving tactical issues.
UPDATE 0729 GMT:
The UN reports at least 328 civilians were murdered and 2,105 wounded in Ukraine in September, an 85% increase over the same month last year.
Civilians were killed or injured in 22 regions of Ukraine and in Kyiv. The highest number of casualties was recorded in Kyiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.
In the capital, civilian casualties were recorded on 22 out of 30 days during September, the greatest frequency during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
UPDATE 0723 GMT:
Semyon Krasotkin, a 27-year-old mathematician and journalist from Moscow, has been imprisoned in Russia 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.
