Easing Sanctions now Gives Russia Money to Bomb Ukraine

President Donald Trump’s premature, unwarranted and dangerous lifting of sanctions against terrorist Russia now will not achieve the illusory goal of defeating Iran but rather it will give Moscow more money and drones with which to bomb Ukrainian cities and kill Ukrainian civilians.

This decision will ultimately demonstrate to America’s enemies, Russia and Iran, that it is weak and incapable of fulfilling its original mission – as well as endanger Americans and Ukrainians alike.

The US Treasury Department announced Thursday a 30-day waiver on Russian oil sanctions. The step aims to free up Russian cargoes stranded at sea and stabilize supply shortages caused by the Iran war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned today that the US 30-day waiver on Russian oil sanctions amid the Iran war as being “not the right decision” and won’t help bring a stop to Russia’s more than four-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

The American move to ease pressure on Russia was met with exasperation by Ukrainian leadership. Speaking in Paris on Friday, Zelenskyy said the US decision was "not very logical.”

“This easing alone by the United States could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war,” Zelenskyy said. “This certainly does not help peace.”

“I believe that lifting sanctions will, in any case, lead to a strengthening of Russia’s position. It spends the money from energy sales on weapons, and all of this is then used against us,” Zelenskyy said at a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Paris.

“Therefore, ultimately lifting sanctions only so that more drones will later be flying at you is, in my opinion, not the right decision,” he said.

Analysts noted that spiraling oil prices due to Persian Gulf production blockages are benefiting the Russian economy. Moscow relies heavily on oil revenue to finance its invasion of Ukraine and acquisition of weapons and military materiel, and sanctions were a growing handicap.

European Union leaders continued their support for Ukraine, siding with Zelenskyy, and called out Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil as fueling the war machine against Ukraine, as Washington tries to ease energy prices after a second week of conflict in the Middle East. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said six of the seven G7 leaders had agreed that lifting sanctions was not “the right signal to send” when they held a joint meeting this week. The US was the exception.

Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Zelenskyy all denounced the decision to allow the delivery and sale of Russian oil stranded at sea, which will allow the Kremlin to replenish its war chest for the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“The unilateral decision by the US to lift sanctions on Russian oil exports is very concerning, as it impacts European security,” António Costa, President of the European Council, added in separate comments, stressing that Russia is the only beneficiary of the current situation, which sees Moscow coffers cashing in on the war.

“Any step that would enable Russia to increase its revenues from oil sales would be problematic in view of the larger goals that we have regarding crippling Russia’s war capabilities against Ukraine,” Merz added. “We want to ensure that Russia does not exploit the war in Iran to weaken Ukraine.”

European leaders rounded on the Trump Administration Friday for temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to bring down surging energy prices amid the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.

“We think that’s wrong,” Merz said, speaking alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. “There is currently a price problem, but not a supply problem. And in that regard, I would like to know what other factors led the US government to make this decision.”

Merz said the decision by the US Administration had come as a surprise on Friday morning, crushing his hopes that Washington might refrain from taking such steps, as other G7 members had strongly urged Trump not to ease the pressure on Moscow during a joint video call on Wednesday.

“We want to ensure that Russia does not exploit the war in Iran to weaken Ukraine,” Merz said. “Nor will we allow Moscow to test NATO on its eastern flank and up here in the north.”

Merz stressed that Germany, together with its G7 partners and Israel, was working to end the war. He also reiterated his fears that the U.S. and Israel lack a strategy for ending the conflict.

In view of soaring prices, Merz pointed to the release of international oil reserves in recent days, including by Germany, which he said, “will help to moderate energy prices to some extent.”

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the British Conservative Party, joined the chorus of opponents saying lifting sanctions now is wrong. She added that twisting Ukraine’s arms into agreeing to territorial concessions is also a mistake and it will make Russia’s Vladimir Putin think the West is weak and malleable.

Western political analysts and pundits have also sided with Ukraine by criticizing Trump for being soft in his dealings with Putin. Indeed, the US President seems to be reluctant to hold Putin to the full count.

Undeniably, Trump’s Russia policy, which favors Russia, is simultaneously filled with contradictions. On the one hand, he supports Moscow versus Kyiv in this war while on the other hand he is opposing Russia when it comes to Iran, which is supplying drones with which Russia bombs military and civilian targets in Ukraine.