\n<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that waived sweeping US sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia\u2019s energy revenues, marking a new low in Washington\u2019s ties with war-torn Ukraine.<\/strong><\/p>\n The move came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged EU leaders to keep financing Kyiv\u2019s fight with nearly $80 billion more next year, insisting he was standing up for his country as Trump\u2019s support slumped.<\/p>\n The Lindsey Graham Act \u2014 named after the deceased US senator who sponsored the bill \u2014 had allowed Trump the authority to impose duties up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.<\/p>\n The legislation, which Trump signed into law last month, targeted Russia\u2019s energy and defense sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as Moscow\u2019s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s reversal on the Russia sanctions comes after he struck a deal with Putin to ease sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing large amounts of diesel into global markets.<\/p>\n The US president\u2019s war in Iran has sparked crippling oil shortages and price spikes, creating major headwinds for his Republican Party ahead of midterm elections next month.<\/p>\n Asked if he was being made a scapegoat for Trump\u2019s domestic woes ahead of the vote, Zelensky just smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my answer,\u201d he told journalists in Brussels, after an extended pause.<\/p>\n In another sign of strained relations between the United States and Ukraine, Trump branded Kyiv\u2019s actions a \u201cdisgrace\u201d after Zelensky ordered his forces to resume strikes on Russian refineries.<\/p>\n \u201cI defend the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people exclusively,\u201d Zelensky said after talks with EU leaders.<\/p>\n The breakdown between Trump and Zelensky has fuelled fears that the US leader is siding with Moscow.<\/p>\n Those concerns have been heightened by disruptions to a critical US-provided satellite system that has hampered Ukraine\u2019s ability to counter Russia\u2019s intense bombardments.<\/p>\n Ukraine uses technology from Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX for battlefield communications, but the tech billionaire \u2014 a virulent Zelensky critic \u2014 said his company was not behind the disruption, while a US official denied any intervention by Trump.<\/p>\n \u2018Increase pressure\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n European leaders put on a show of unity with Zelensky as he grappled with Trump.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine. This is no time to relieve Russia\u2019s sanctions,\u201d European Council chief Antonio Costa said.<\/p>\n \u201cNow it is time to increase our support, to increase our pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said that \u201cthe situation in Ukraine is currently truly dire, with numerous Russian attacks and a tense relationship between Ukraine and the US.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is crucial that we, as Europe, demonstrate our unconditional support for them today \u2014 and explore what additional steps we can take,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Zelensky asked the bloc \u2014 Ukraine\u2019s biggest international backer \u2014 to provide more Patriot missiles to shoot down Russian missiles and come up with an extra 70 billion euros ($79 billion) in support next year to help Kyiv keep fighting.<\/p>\n Ukraine has been struggling to shoot down Russian missiles and has been left scrambling to boost defences ahead of winter, when temperatures can plummet to as low as -20C and Moscow\u2019s attacks threaten electricity, heating and water systems.<\/p>\n Russian strikes on the southern cities of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia killed a 64-year-old man and at least 17 people, including an 11-year-old girl, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday.<\/p>\n EU chief Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Zelensky\u2019s 70-billion euro plea \u201chas to be covered\u201d and urged partner countries to \u201cstep in\u201d and help.<\/p>\n French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv\u2019s backers will analyse the demand, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the European Union will discuss it before the end of the year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n