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Zelensky Slams Trump's Russia Sanctions Pause: Graham Act 'Must Actually Work'

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 17, 2026•3 min read

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the U.S. decision to pause a new package of Russia sanctions as 'unfortunate,' amid Russia's massive attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Key Facts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday (10/17/2026) condemned the U.S. decision to pause a new package of sanctions against Russia, calling it an "unfortunate" decision in a post on X.
Zelensky's rebuke came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order from Mar-a-Lago suspending sanctions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, citing the "national interest" of the United States.
The suspended provisions — which were due to take effect on Sunday (10/18/2026) — included tariffs of up to 100 percent on the largest importers of Russian oil and gas and tariffs of up to 500 percent on all Russian goods.
Zelensky said the decision was taken just as Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure: more than 320 jet- and gasoline-powered Shahed drones, loitering munitions, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles struck the energy sector, cities, and communities.
In his post, Zelensky wrote: "This Act could have helped enormously — and still can! But it needs to actually work, and every voice in support of it matters." He urged the public to speak out forcefully for the sanctions, without naming Trump directly.
Trump's move came days after he announced a plan to buy 300,000 metric tons of Russian diesel to lower global energy prices — a deal Zelensky condemned as funding Russia's war machine.

Blistering X Post, No Direct Mention of Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly blasted U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pause a new sanctions package against Russia. In a post on X on Saturday (10/17/2026), Zelensky called the decision "unfortunate."

The rebuke came amid a massive Russian assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. According to Zelensky, more than 320 jet- and gasoline-powered Shahed drones, loitering munitions, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles were used by Russia to strike the energy sector, cities, and communities across Ukraine.

"At a time when the Russians have carried out such a massive attack on our energy sector, a decision was unfortunately made in America to completely disregard the Lindsey Graham Act, which was supposed to impose truly effective pressure on Russia to bring this war to an end," Zelensky wrote.

Notably, Zelensky did not name Trump directly, even as tensions between the two leaders keep escalating. He urged the public to speak out forcefully for the sanctions: "This Act could have helped enormously — and still can! But it needs to actually work, and every voice in support of it matters."

Waiver from Mar-a-Lago, 100% and 500% Tariffs Paused

Hours before Zelensky's post, Trump signed an executive order from Mar-a-Lago on Friday night suspending the sanctions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 — the law named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

The suspended provisions were due to take effect on Sunday (10/18/2026): tariffs of up to 100 percent on the largest importers of Russian oil and gas and tariffs of up to 500 percent on all Russian goods. Trump said the pause was in the "national interest" of the United States.

The decision deepens the rift between Washington and Kyiv. Earlier in the week Trump had announced a plan to buy 300,000 metric tons of Russian diesel to lower global energy prices — a move Zelensky condemned as directly funding Russia's war machine.