Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday (October 17, 2026) that he feared the United States would lift more sanctions on Russia and and that President Donald Trump’s action only “rewards” Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
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action → say → Putin
Mr. Trump heightened a battle with Mr. Zelenskyy on Friday (October 16, 2026) when he signed an executive order that waived sweeping U.S. sanctions targeting Russia’s energy revenues.
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that → heighten → revenues
The decision came despite Russia increasing strikes on Ukraine in the fifth year of its war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
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which → come → millions
Mr. Trump had already announced that he has agreed a deal with Mr. Putin to allow exports of Russian diesel in exchange for the easing of sanctions, and Mr. Zelenskyy said he feared more concessions.
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he → announce → concessions
“Unfortunately, the lifting of sanctions will continue.
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lifting → continue → sanctions
I believe the ‘diesel deal’ is just the first step,” Mr. Zelenskyy told reporters.
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Zelenskyy → believe → reporters
He said he still “personally” hoped that Mr. Trump will do “everything in his power” to make Mr. Putin end the war but added: “You cannot achieve this by limiting Ukraine’s responses to Russia for killing our people.
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You → say → people
Ukraine said at least two people were killed in Russian air strikes on Saturday.
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people → say → Saturday
‘Pressure’ needed
Mr. Zelenskyy said the U.S. decision on Friday came the same day as Russia attacked 15 critical power generation facilities across Ukraine in “one of the largest” attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid.
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Russia → need → grid
Officials said one person was killed in the southern city of Kherson in an attack that also wounded 22 people, including two children, and that another was killed in the northeastern city of Sumy.
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another → say → Sumy
Mr. Zelenskyy said the U.S. decision on Friday came the same day as Russia attacked 15 critical power generation facilities across Ukraine in “one of the largest” attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid.
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Russia → say → grid
The Lindsey Graham Act -- named after the late U.S. Senator who sponsored the bill -- targeted Russia’s energy and defence sectors, as well as Putin and the so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used by Moscow to circumvent Western sanctions.
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who → name → sanctions
“It is important that everyone in America also sees what is really happening,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on social media.
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Zelenskyy → see → media
The Lindsey Graham Act, he said, was “supposed to impose truly effective pressure on Russia to bring this war to an end” adding that the act “could have helped enormously -- and still can!”
uncertain
act → say → end
“A U.S. sanctions blackout, easing pressure on the aggressor, financial rewards for Putin -- all of this only encourages him to keep attacking,” he warned.
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he → ease → him
The Ukrainian leader said Russia wanted to cause a “blackout” in Ukraine ahead of winter: “Russia is trying to leave millions of our people without electricity and heating.”
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Russia → say → electricity
He called on allies to pressure Moscow to “stop this.”
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He → call → this
Last winter saw hundreds of thousands in Ukraine consistently without heat and electricity in freezing temperatures.
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thousands → see → temperatures
Russia hails Trump move as ‘historic’
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Russia → hail → move
The Kremlin and Mr. Putin have not yet reacted to Trump, but several Russian officials celebrated the move as a win.
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officials → react → win
“The Trump administration’s suspension of the Graham Act is an important and truly historic moment,” Kirill Dmitriev, a Putin envoy, said on social media.
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Dmitriev → say → media
Mr. Dmitriev said the act would have caused “serious damage first and foremost to the U.S. economy and global markets”.
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act → say → economy
Mr. Trump announced the sanctions waiver in an executive order Friday, shortly after Mr. Putin appeared in military uniform and said Moscow aims to capture the rest of east Ukraine.
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Moscow → announce → Ukraine
U.S.-led talks to end the war have failed to bring a breakthrough.
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talks → end → breakthrough
Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelenskyy have frustrated Trump in the past.
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Putin → frustrate → past
Mr. Zelenskyy rallied his allies Friday on a visit to Brussels for a European Union summit, urging them to keep financing Ukraine’s fight and insisting he was standing up for his country amid the row with Mr. Trump.
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he → rally → Trump
Putin vows more
Ukraine has been struggling to shoot down Russian missiles and has been left scrambling to boost defences ahead of winter.
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Ukraine → vow → winter
Russia controls large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine and Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of east Ukraine by force.
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Moscow → control → force
“On the whole I see a positive trend in the operations of the troop groupings,” Putin told army leaders Friday, dressed in military attire.
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Putin → see → attire
“Undoubtedly, one of the main objectives remains the liberation of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” he added, using the Kremlin’s name for the eastern Donetsk region.
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he → remain → region
The Aporia
