White House eases Russian sanctions, Ukraine loses satellite support

The White House waived broad sanctions and tariffs on Russia on Wednesday, days after the Graham Act passed. The move included a deal easing penalties on Russian diesel and a demand that Ukraine stop attacking Russian refineries. President Trump also suggested that Ukrainians should get a new president.

Two days before the new law was set to take full effect, the administration signaled a shift in strategy. Officials reportedly threatened to withhold intelligence sharing with Kyiv and end a program that lets Europe buy American weapons for Ukraine. These warnings coincided with a slowdown in Starshield, the military satellite service run by SpaceX.

For several days, the slower satellite speeds hampered Ukraine’s ability to defend against jet-powered drones. The system also conducted midrange strikes in Russian-occupied territory. U.S. missile warnings went silent on multiple nights, leaving civilians with fewer minutes to reach shelters. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attributed the lapses to technical glitches.

Ukraine’s air defense network is running low on Patriot interceptors. European purchases of American weapons account for 95 percent of the interceptors Ukraine receives. The U.S. has reportedly slowed deliveries of those purchases, as well as transfers from friendly-country stocks. This shortage limits the air force’s capacity to shoot down incoming drones.

The White House declared an energy truce, but the results have been uneven. The promised Russian fuel supplies are too small to offset the price squeeze driven by the war in Iran. Ukraine held its fire on refineries for three days. In response, Russia launched 39 ballistic missiles, cutting power to over 600,000 Ukrainians.

Russian strikes have nearly shut down Odesa’s grain ports. The economic pressure on Moscow is mounting as the war consumes more resources. Russia is estimated to lose 30,000 men per month, a number higher than its recruitment rate. Ukrainian drones and battlefield innovations have helped roll back Russian advances in the east.

Russian officials say they are willing to restart three-way talks with the U.S. and Ukraine early next month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly suggested a cease-fire on energy infrastructure. A compliant response from Moscow would test whether further agreements are possible.

A bipartisan group of senators called the diesel deal a gift to the adversary. Congress is expected to scrutinize the justification for the waivers. Lawmakers also plan to look closely at who ordered the Starshield slowdown. Some legislators have proposed extending Starshield access into Russia to target launch sites and storage facilities.

Europe is working to compensate for declining U.S. support. The bloc aims to get more Patriot interceptors and air defenses to Ukraine before winter. This effort includes buying weapons from the U.S. or transferring existing stocks. Europe also plans to fund more Ukrainian drone production and secure components for missiles and interceptors.

Financing Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction will require more joint borrowing or a new strategy for Russia’s frozen central bank assets. In Athens, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned the West against losing its fire of passion and courage. The administration’s recent moves suggest Washington is wavering in that commitment.