#ukraine
5 entries with this tag
With Diesel Above $6.50 a Gallon After His Own Iran War Helped Spike Fuel Prices, Trump Signed an Executive Order Gutting Key Parts of the Bipartisan Graham Act Sanctions on Russia Days Before They Took Effect — and Cut a Deal With Vladimir Putin for Russia to Supply Diesel to the U.S. and Global Markets, a Move Zelensky Called "Wrong" and a Member of Congress Called a "Surrender to Putin"
In October 2026, with diesel prices spiking above $6.50 a gallon — a crisis driven substantially by the oil-market shock from Trump's own war on Iran — the president reached for relief in the worst possible place: Vladimir Putin. On October 16, Trump signed an executive order waiving key provisions of the Graham Act, the bipartisan Russia sanctions law, days before they were due to take effect, calling off planned duties on Russian goods and penalties on buying Russian oil and gas. The Treasury Department simultaneously issued a general license authorizing Russian diesel sales through April 2027. The arrangement grew out of a deal Trump announced with Putin for Russia to supply diesel to the United States and global markets. The reaction was swift and bipartisan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the move "wrong"; Rep. Don Beyer called it a "surrender to Putin"; and members of Congress from both parties had already warned that easing Russian oil sanctions enables Moscow to expand the revenue streams that fund its war on Ukraine. The administration framed it as fuel-price relief. But the relief came by rewarding the aggressor, undercutting a sanctions law Congress passed with bipartisan support, and funneling hard currency to the Kremlin's war machine — to solve a price crisis that Trump's own foreign policy helped create.
Trump Plots to "Expunge" Both Impeachments from the Record — Constitutional Scholars: "You Cannot Un-Ring a Bell"
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump and allies are pushing a House resolution to expunge both impeachments — for abusing power to pressure Ukraine and for inciting the January 6 insurrection. Trump: "It should be done because I did nothing wrong. It was a rigged deal." Speaker Johnson: "I think it makes a lot of sense." Constitutional scholars say the Constitution contains no mechanism to undo an impeachment. Georgetown's Jonathan Turley: "It is not like a constitutional DUI. Once you are impeached, you are impeached." Hofstra's James Sample: "You cannot un-ring a bell." Rep. Darrell Issa introduced a resolution in April; Rep. Anna Paulina Luna announced another. GOP lawmakers privately say it won't be considered until after the midterms — because rehashing Trump's conduct would hurt them. Schiff: "There is no expunging the stain." Raskin: "There is a very easy way to not get impeached: stop committing impeachable offenses."
"Trust Has Been Broken": Former NATO Ambassador Says Trump Has Destroyed the Alliance
Former NATO Ambassador Daalder says Trump has broken the foundational trust of the alliance. Trump threatened to pull from NATO and stop Ukraine weapons sales because allies refused to join his Iran war. France closed its airspace to U.S. warplanes. Spain barred U.S. bombers.
Zelensky Oval Office Ambush
A White House meeting with Ukraine's President Zelensky devolved into a televised shouting match. Trump and Vance berated Zelensky, blamed him for the Russian invasion, and suspended intelligence and military aid.
First Impeachment: Ukraine Extortion
Trump withheld $400 million in congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to pressure President Zelensky into announcing investigations into political rival Joe Biden. The GAO concluded Trump broke federal law.