Relations between the United States and Ukraine have deteriorated sharply after President Donald Trump waived key sanctions and tariffs on Russian exports, pursued a deal to import Russian diesel and raised concerns in Kyiv over the future of American intelligence and military support.
The developments have intensified a dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose increasingly public criticism of the US president reflects growing concern that Washington is moving away from Kyiv while seeking closer economic engagement with Moscow.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Zelenskyy over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, which his administration has partly blamed for rising energy costs in the United States. Zelenskyy, in turn, has accused Washington of favouring Russia and said Ukraine would continue attacking Russian energy targets as long as Moscow maintained its strikes on Ukrainian territory.
The dispute escalated on Friday when Trump waived key Russia-related sanctions and tariffs shortly before they were due to take effect. The measures were linked to the Graham Act, signed by Trump last month, which called for new penalties against Russia beginning this week but allowed the president to waive them when he considered doing so to be in the US national interest.
Zelenskyy said the decision undermined the law’s central purpose and would encourage further Russian attacks. He described the waiver as part of a broader pattern of sanctions relief that could strengthen Moscow’s determination to continue the war.
Trump had said on 9 October that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian fuel and import Russian diesel. According to a person familiar with internal discussions, Trump turned to Moscow to increase fuel supplies and contain domestic prices amid his frustration with Zelenskyy.
Energy costs have become a political concern for Trump ahead of November’s midterm elections, when his Republican Party risks losing its majorities in Congress, according to analysts. Experts cited in the source material say the recent surge in energy prices is primarily attributable to the US-Israeli war with Iran, Iranian attacks on energy facilities and the effective closure of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
The deterioration in relations has also raised concerns over Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian missile and drone attacks. Kyiv is preparing for another winter of assaults on its energy infrastructure, while uncertainty over US intelligence support could make it more difficult to identify and intercept incoming strikes.
Trump has said Washington continues to share intelligence with Ukraine. Zelenskyy, however, told NPR that US officials had warned Ukrainian commanders that intelligence provision could be reduced or halted. The Ukrainian president also said on Tuesday that Kyiv had received no warning from Western partners before a deadly Russian attack on the capital.
A disruption to Ukraine’s Starshield system, the military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, added to the concerns. Two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter said the disruption followed an order originating from the White House. The service has since been partially restored, highlighting Ukraine’s dependence on technology controlled by American companies and subject to decisions by the Trump administration.
Despite the public confrontation, Kyiv remains willing to engage with Trump’s representatives, including his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to two Ukrainian officials familiar with the discussions. Denys Sienik, chargé d’affaires at Ukraine’s embassy in Washington, told Newsmax on Friday that Ukraine appreciated Trump’s efforts to end the war and remained prepared to negotiate with Russia.
Trump said he intended to continue dealing with both Zelenskyy and Putin. “I want that war to end,” he told reporters on Friday.
Daniel Fried, a senior State Department official responsible for Europe from 2005 to 2009 and now associated with the Atlantic Council, said it remained unclear whether Washington was making a lasting strategic shift away from Ukraine.
“It’s not only a missed opportunity, it causes genuine suffering in Ukraine and encourages Putin to continue the war, so it’s not cost-free,” Fried said.
Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy adviser in the Obama administration, said Zelenskyy might be counting on changes in Congress after the midterm elections to constrain Trump’s ability to ease sanctions and reduce assistance to Kyiv.
“Zelenskyy knows who he’s dealing with,” Bruen said. “Trump’s threats don’t have the same kind of effect as they did when JD Vance tried to shame him in the Oval Office.”
