President Donald Trump has waived several sanctions against Russia that were set to take effect in two days, escalating a public dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The sanctions, passed by the US Congress and signed into law by Trump in September, were intended to target Russia's economy.

Trump issued an executive order late Friday, stating that suspending some of the measures was in the "US national interest." This decision has drawn sharp criticism from US lawmakers and further strained relations between Washington and Kyiv, which had already been frayed by a controversial US deal to import Russian diesel and accusations from Ukraine that the Trump administration was withholding key military support.

The waived sanctions law granted Trump broad authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from major purchasers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India. It also included measures against senior Russian officials, financial institutions, and the "shadow fleet" of vessels used to circumvent existing embargoes. Many of these provisions have now been suspended by the president.

Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the waiver, describing it as an "important and truly historic moment" and asserting that the sanctions would have primarily harmed the US and global markets, while economic cooperation benefits both nations. However, US Democrats, like Congressman Don Beyer, condemned the move, accusing Trump of "capitulating to Moscow" and abandoning Ukraine.

"Trump's latest surrender to Putin again betrays our Ukrainian partners and defies clear congressional intent," Beyer wrote on X. He argued that the legislation was designed to punish Russia for its "illegal war of aggression."

President Zelensky voiced his disappointment, stating that the sanctions could have "helped enormously" and were intended to exert "truly effective pressure on Russia to bring this war to an end." He highlighted recent Russian overnight attacks on 15 Ukrainian energy facilities, which caused power outages, and noted Russia's attempts to create blackouts ahead of winter. Zelensky emphasized the importance of Americans understanding the reality on the ground in Ukraine.

Despite the diplomatic friction, Zelensky expressed optimism that the Trump administration might lift more sanctions against Russia, indicating that Ukrainian negotiators had been in discussions with their US counterparts. The exchange of sharp words between Trump and Zelensky has been notable, with Zelensky previously remarking on being among "real leaders" at an EU summit, following Trump's assertion that Zelensky was more difficult to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The situation leaves Ukraine concerned about continued international support as it faces ongoing Russian aggression, while the US administration signals a departure from congressionally mandated punitive measures against Moscow.