'Putin's incitement to war' - Ukrainian president criticizes US for forgoing sanctions

[Washington Current Affairs] In an interview with NBC News on the 18th, President Zelenskiy of Ukraine criticized US President Trump for not enforcing the sanctions law against Russia, saying that he was ``inciting Putin's war (invasion of Ukraine).'' He expressed concern that if the United States supported Russia, it would be a ``historic mistake and a great tragedy.''

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On the 16th, Trump signed an executive order suspending the application of 100% tariffs on major countries that purchase crude oil and natural gas from Russia. The move is aimed at curbing energy prices as the issue of high prices becomes an issue in the upcoming mid-term elections on November 3rd, but it has been criticized by both the Republican and Democratic parties.

Zelenskiy also mentioned that the United States had decided to ease sanctions in order to increase the supply of Russian-produced diesel oil, pointing out that ``this will not affect prices in the United States.'' He asserted that the high energy levels were caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime transport hub.

He explained that the Starlink satellite communications service provided by the U.S. space and artificial intelligence (AI) company SpaceX to the Ukrainian military is "speed-limited," raising concerns that military operations are being affected. However, he also said, ``I trust the United States,'' and ``I hope that Mr. Trump will change his decision (on sanctions).''

In a social media post on the 18th, Trump said, ``I don't want to push Russia away from the negotiating table (by imposing sanctions),'' given that peace negotiations are underway between Russia and Ukraine.