Le Monde: Trump's sanctions amnesty for Russia will cost Ukrainians their lives

Economic pressure as a tool of electoral strategy

US President Donald Trump decided on 16 October to exempt Russia from new large-scale sanctions. This step was taken on the eve of the midterms, which will take place on 3 November. As the publication Le Monde notes, this initiative is driven by the prospect of a Republican defeat due to inflation caused by his war against Iran.

Washington's radical decision to buy Russian diesel fuel aims to lower prices at filling stations in the United States. Meanwhile, according to the French newspaper, the US military campaign in the Middle East has already helped Volodymyr Putin sustain the economy thanks to a sharp rise in energy prices.

Shortage of air defence assets and ignoring intelligence data

While defending partners in the Persian Gulf from Iranian shelling, Washington spent critically important stocks of air defence missiles. This led to Kyiv being left without necessary protection at the moment of the most intense air strikes.

Le Monde emphasises that Donald Trump ignored intelligence reports that directly indicated the transfer of Russian material and technical assistance to the Iranian regime. As the authors of the article claim, the American leader decided to sacrifice Ukrainian civilians for his own political interests.

«Зіткнувшись із перспективою поразки на проміжних виборах 3 листопада – значною мірою через інфляцію, спричинену його війною проти Ірану, – Трамп вирішив пожертвувати українськими мирними жителями… Наслідки цієї зради вимірюватимуться людськими життями – життями людей, загиблих у містах, які зазнають безжальних бомбардувань» (Facing the prospect of defeat in the 3 November midterms – largely due to inflation caused by his war against Iran – Trump decided to sacrifice Ukrainian civilians… The consequences of this betrayal will be measured in human lives – the lives of people killed in cities subjected to ruthless bombings)

Blaming Kyiv and risks for the West

When the compromise on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz collapsed and fuel prices in the US spiked again, the head of the White House blamed Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Donald Trump publicly stated that the rise in fuel prices was caused by successful Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.

The publication noted that calls for a change of power in Ukraine, energy deals with Moscow, and reports of disruptions in the operation of the Starshield military communication system turn the world's leading state into a de facto assistant to the Kremlin. Attempts to justify these steps by the desire to detach Moscow from its strategic partnership with China are shattered by real facts. Such concessions to the aggressor only fuel the Russian offensive and weaken the positions of the Western alliance.

Historical context and criticism of foreign policy course

For Trump, this is not a strategic turn. In fact, the shadow of Russia has hung over his presidency for a decade. A direct line runs from the catastrophic summit in Helsinki in 2018, where the US President disgracefully sided with Putin's position, to the summit in Anchorage in August 2025. There, Trump fawningly rolled out the red carpet for his Russian counterpart, receiving nothing in return.

Until very recently, US presidents took pride in playing the role of the "leader of the free world" – this was a legacy of the Cold War era. However, during Trump's time, the word "freedom", like "democracy", has disappeared from Washington's lexicon. History will not forget this, the authors of the article concluded.