Zelensky, 'easing US sanctions rewards and encourages Putin'

The US decision not to apply the Lindsey Graham Act, which was supposed to put effective pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, risks encouraging Vladimir Putin to continue the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a message on X, criticizing Washington the day after a massive Russian attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

“A blackout of US sanctions, easing of pressure on the aggressor and financial rewards for Putin – all this only encourages him to continue attacks,” he wrote.

Russia is trying to cause a blackout in Ukraine on the eve of winter, leaving millions of people without electricity and heat, Zelensky added in the post, denouncing one of the largest Russian attacks on the country's energy sector.