Donald Trump waives many Russia-related sanctions just days before they were due to take effect

The legislation, whose primary backer in Congress was the late Senator Lindsey Graham, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100 per cent within 30 days on all goods brought into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas.

It would also apply to any country that knowingly bought oil or gas 30 days after the law was enacted or was among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions.

Mr Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in mid-September.

However, in the order released by the White House on Friday, the President said: "I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States."

Countries such as India, one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, have raised concerns about the Russia sanctions bill.

It comes just hours after President Trump declined to say Russia’s Vladimir Putin started the Ukraine war, putting him again at loggerheads with the UK and other allies over the conflict.

Mr Trump also denied the US was responsible for the disruption to Kyiv’s access to the vital Starlink satellite communications system, leaving the country exposed to attack, amid a spat with Washington.

Britain and most other Nato members have been clear in blaming and condemning the Kremlin for the Ukraine conflict, triggered by Mr Putin ordering the invasion of the neighbouring nation in 2022.

However, when asked whether he had forgotten that it was the Russian leader who started the war, Mr Trump did not respond directly and implied it was not straightforward.

Mr Trump said: "I know the details, OK, and at some point I’ll release the details...But I don’t care anything except for one. I want that war ended."

His comments, as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Georgia, came after he again rounded on Mr Zelensky, saying he was "not a big fan" and claiming he was "more difficult to deal with than Putin".

He previously suggested Ukraine needed a new leader and claimed Mr Putin wanted a peace deal more.

Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky, attending a summit in Brussels on Friday, signalled that he agreed with the suggestion he was being made a scapegoat by Mr Trump for soaring fuel prices driven by the Iran war, which was launched by the US and Israel in February.

Ahead of crucial stateside elections next month, Mr Trump has increasingly sought to lay the blame on attacks by Ukraine on Russian refineries for the spike in energy costs, rather than the interruption to oil supplies in the Middle East through the Strait of Hormuz waterway.

During a visit to London earlier this week, Mr Zelensky had accused Mr Trump of betraying his country by limiting its use of US-made Starlink terminals which are vital for the Ukrainian military.

But speaking on Friday, Mr Trump said: "We didn’t do that. We didn’t slow it down at all."

The latest strain in relations came after Mr Trump struck a deal to buy Russian diesel, which critics at home and abroad warn will be used to fund Mr Putin’s war machine.

After initially respecting the ceasefire, Mr Zelensky abandoned the brief truce amid continued Russian attacks, drawing criticism from the American leader.

Mr Trump told Newsmax: “All [Mr Zelensky] is doing is making the world oil price higher. Well, I think that’s a disgrace."

Speaking at the European Union meeting, Mr Zelensky thanked the bloc for its support and pointedly hailed its "real leaders".

He later told a news conference: "This diesel deal will never be enough to offset the impact of the Strait of Hormuz on global markets. But it will put more money straight into Putin’s pocket to fund this war."