Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday condemned the easing of sanctions on Russian oil after the United States extended a waiver meant to soften surging energy prices driven by the Middle East war.
“Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war” and the billions of dollars involved are used for devastating strikes on Ukraine, Zelensky said in a post on X.
He did not mention the United States, but President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday issued a month-long sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products that are at sea.
The action was intended to bring down soaring energy prices. But the US Treasury Department extension came two days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would not renew the waiver.
Zelensky said there were more than 110 tankers carrying Russian oil in breach of international sanctions currently at sea, carrying more than 12 million tonnes of crude “which, due to the easing of sanctions, can once again be sold without consequences.
“That is $10 billion -- a resource that is directly converted into new strikes against Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
The Ukraine leader said that in the past week alone, Russia had launched more than 2,360 attack drones, more than 1,320 guided aerial bombs “and nearly 60 missiles of various types at our cities and communities”.
A 16-year-old boy was killed and four people wounded in one overnight attack on the northern city of Chernihiv, the head of the local administration said Sunday.
Zelensky said: “It is important that Russian tankers are stopped, not allowed to deliver oil to ports. The aggressor’s oil exports must decrease, and Ukraine’s long-range sanctions continue to work toward that goal.”
Zelensky has a delicate relationship with Trump, who had a memorable blow-up with him in the Oval Office last year.
Ukraine needs US backing to fight off Russia, but has faced pressure from the Trump administration to sign off on a deal to end the more than four-year-old war triggered by Moscow’s invasion.
The US sanctions waiver allows for the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products that have been loaded onto any vessel as of Friday, through 12:01 am (0401 GMT) on May 16.
It extends an earlier easing of sanctions that expired on April 11.
Trump is keen to contain surging petrol prices ahead of key midterm elections this year.
Several top Democrats slammed the new sanctions relief however.
“This decision is shameful and a 180-degree reversal from Secretary Bessent, just two days after he pledged not to extend sanctions relief for Russia,” said Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren in a statement.
“Make no mistake, Putin has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of President Trump’s war against Iran, as Russia saw oil revenues nearly double in March.”
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