Zelenskyy says Trump’s Russia sanctions rollback rewards Putin

Summary

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Donald Trump’s decision to roll back sanctions on Russia a reward for Vladimir Putin and warned it would embolden the Russian leader and intensify the war, The Guardian reports. Zelenskyy also said he expected the US to lift more sanctions and urged Europe to establish its own negotiations with Moscow. The Guardian reports that Russian strikes on power plants in Kyiv and Kharkiv caused rolling blackouts and water outages despite Trump’s declaration of an energy ceasefire last week. This follows reports that Russian strikes hit Kyiv homes and power facilities, with outlets differing on the death toll.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   16 Oct 2026, 15:28 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Russian missiles and drones struck power plants in Kyiv and Kharkiv this week, causing rolling blackouts and water outages despite Donald Trump’s declaration of an energy ceasefire last week.

2. The Guardian

   17 Oct 2026, 14:46 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Zelenskyy called Trump’s rollback of sanctions on Russia a reward for Putin and warned it would intensify the war; he also said he expected further sanctions to be lifted and urged Europe to negotiate with Moscow.