Trump Halts New Russia Sanctions, Expert Warns Darkest Hour for Ukraine

Donald Trump aborted a newly drafted sanctions regime targeting Russia, prompting geopolitics scholar Klemens Fischer to describe the move as the darkest point for Ukraine since the conflict began. Fischer argued Trump’s decision is driven by a desire to swing the November midterms in his favor, exploiting higher gasoline and diesel prices and casting Russia as a convenient adversary. The professor recalled Trump’s longstanding antipathy toward President Volodymyr Selenskyj, rooted in a 2019 refusal to provide evidence on alleged Hunter Biden activities.

He emphasized Ukraine’s near-total reliance on U.S. air-defence systems and intelligence for operations deep inside Russian territory. According to Ukrainian reports, an unannounced reduction in the Starshield satellite internet service disrupted drone communications, potentially allowing Russian drones to go unchecked. Fischer warned that if the United States further curtails Starshield in the coming weeks, Ukraine could suffer irreversible defensive setbacks, likening the situation to a disease that stabilizes only at a low level.