Kyiv — Zelenskyy Says Trump's Waived Sanctions Aid Putin's War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a decision by President Trump to waive Russia sanctions is "strengthening Putin's war against us," according to an exclusive interview aired on NBC's Meet the Press.

What did Zelenskyy say about the waived sanctions?

In the interview, Zelenskyy says Trump's move to bypass the sanctions law shows "really big support for Putin," according to NBC's broadcast. He separately tells the network it is "a pity" that Trump bypassed the law, which is named for Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Zelenskyy frames the waiver as a weakening of economic pressure on Moscow at a moment when Kyiv is pressing allies to tighten, not loosen, restrictions on Russian trade and finance.

What is the sanctions law Trump waived?

The NBC segment identifies the measure only as a Russia sanctions law associated with Graham, without detailing its statutory provisions or waiver mechanism in the aired clip. NBC's report does not specify which sanctions were waived, when the waiver took effect, or the administration's stated legal basis. Readers looking for the underlying statute or waiver notice will need to consult the White House or Treasury Department's public filings, which were not part of the material NBC aired.

How has the Trump administration responded?

The same NBC interview package includes remarks from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who says "no one has been tougher on Russian sanctions" than Trump, according to NBC's video description of a separate full interview. Bessent also says in that NBC segment that Zelenskyy is "reckless" for saying the U.S. government caused a slowdown in Starlink service to Ukraine. NBC's posted clips do not show Bessent addressing the Graham-law waiver specifically.

What other tensions did Zelenskyy raise with NBC?

In related Meet the Press segments cataloged alongside the main interview, Zelenskyy says he believes a limited speed cap on Starshield service amounts to "a message from American government," and tells NBC he "can't applaud" decisions he says hurt Ukraine when responding to criticism from Trump. In a separate full interview listed by NBC, Zelenskyy says Ukraine "will not prevail" if the United States takes Russia's side. NBC has not published a transcript excerpt resolving how these Starlink and Starshield comments connect to the sanctions waiver itself.

What to watch

• Whether the White House or Treasury issues a public statement explaining the scope and duration of the sanctions waiver.
• Whether Sen. Graham responds publicly to Zelenskyy's comments about the law bearing his name.
• Whether Bessent or other administration officials address the waiver directly, beyond the Starlink exchange NBC aired.
• Whether Ukraine's government issues its own statement or seeks European Union allies to offset any reduced U.S. sanctions pressure on Russia.

NBC has not reported a response from the White House to Zelenskyy's specific characterization that the waiver shows "support for Putin."