Trump defends Russia sanctions relief, accuses Zelensky of rejecting peace

US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his decision to waive some sanctions on Russia, while once again accusing Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting to end the war. "My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don't want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The remarks come after Trump signed an executive order late Friday waiving broad new sanctions mandated by legislation named for the late US senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine's defense. Read moreWho capped Starlink in Ukraine? Musk, Trump and Rubio give three different answers Trump has also temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing large quantities to flow into global markets in a bid to lower fuel prices ahead of US elections early next month. The diesel deal was met with shock by Kyiv and its allies and sparked a feud between Trump and Zelensky that has seen their roller-coaster relationship plummet again. "Great progress is being made" in talks on the war, "and that includes current hostage negotiati...