Key facts
- Russia aims to create a blackout across Ukraine before winter.
- Attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have cut power to about 1 million people.
- U.S. President Donald Trump waived key sanctions on Russia via executive order.
- Zelenskyy criticized the waiver as an "American sanctions blackout."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia is attempting to create a nationwide blackout in Ukraine before winter, aiming to leave millions without electricity and heating. He criticized a recent U.S. executive order from President Donald Trump that waived key sanctions on Russia, describing it as an "American sanctions blackout" that "only encourages" Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy's comments follow Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy sector, which reportedly cut power to about 1 million people. The U.S. sanctions waiver, signed by Trump on Friday, was called an "important and truly historic moment" by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation. Trump's decision came shortly after a reported deal with Putin on diesel fuel supply, which reportedly stunned European countries and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also referenced Senator Lindsey Graham's bill, intended to apply pressure on Russia, stating that the U.S. decision to "completely ignore" it was unfortunate and that the law "needs to actually work."