Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia’s war on Ukraine “must be brought to an end” and that Kyiv is preparing for the “next steps” of diplomacy. He spoke after a rough week with Washington. On Friday night, President Donald Trump waived sanctions aimed at Russia’s energy economy.
In a social media post, the Ukrainian leader said he had held a conversation with Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “A lot depends” on the US position, he wrote, but there are “many things that matter to all of us.” He said his team is in “virtually nonstop communication” with US counterparts, and that talks centre on the results of the Florida meetings and further steps.
The sanctions waiver
Trump’s executive order waived parts of the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. He had signed the act in September, in honour of the late Senator Graham, a close Republican ally. The penalties were due to take effect on Sunday. The waiver drew pushback from both parties, including from inside his own.
Over the weekend Trump signalled that no final decision has been made. “My decision on Russia is a very simple one,” he wrote on Truth Social. “I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.” He added a jab at Zelenskyy: “He doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Trump wants up to 60 days to weigh the economic consequences of the sanctions and tariffs that were waived. Zelenskyy has warned that the waiver could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and prolong the war.
Russian diesel
The administration had already eased limits on Russian fuel on October 9, announcing a deal for Russia to supply more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to US and global markets, aimed at soaring fuel prices. The Treasury temporarily authorised the imports despite existing sanctions. Critics said the move could hand Moscow revenue to keep fighting.
Rubio defended the deal. “That diesel is going to be sold one way or the other,” he said, arguing the real question was how much the US would secure for itself. Energy Secretary Chris Wright called it a “carrot to try to end the war, not an economic lifeline” for Russia. He told CNN that extra Russian diesel on the market “would benefit American consumers.”
Intelligence and Starshield
Zelenskyy said he was “thankful” that the US had resumed intelligence sharing after a pause that left Ukraine exposed to Russian ballistic missiles. “It was blocked for some period of time. And then it was deblocked by the American side,” he told NBC. “Only [the] United States has this unique intelligence to tell our side when Russia uses ballistic missiles. And we didn’t get it during ballistic attacks during three days.”
Kyiv also reported limits on Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink that SpaceX provides to Ukraine. Ukraine said its relays face a cap on how fast receivers can travel while staying connected, which makes it nearly impossible to intercept Russia’s upgraded jet-powered long-range drones. Elon Musk said any restrictions were the responsibility of the US government. The White House rebuked that, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Zelenskyy “very reckless” for accusing Washington of throttling the service. Rubio said Ukraine is currently blocked from Starshield and that Kyiv’s request to use it for attacks deep inside Russia is “under discussion.”
On the front
Ukrainian media reported that Russian strikes on Sunday killed two people in the western Volyn region, near the Polish border, and injured at least five others across the country. Overnight attacks in the Zaporizhzhia region killed a woman and injured a six-year-old.
Ukraine hit St Petersburg with a large drone attack on Saturday night and into Sunday morning. Targets included an oil refinery and depot, a warehouse of the online retailer Ozon and a data centre run by VKontakte. At least one person died. Russian state media called it the largest attack on the city since the war began in 2022.
