President Trump halts Russian sanctions as White House press secretary exits

President Donald Trump issued an executive order halting new penalties on Russia that were set to take effect under recent legislation, according to The Hill. Ukrainian News separately reported that the order lifts sanctions that had been imposed under the Graham Act. [1][5][6]

The executive order sparked bipartisan backlash in Congress, The Hill reported. The decision follows previous actions by the administration to ease sanctions against Russia. [1]

The decision coincides with the quick departure of White House press secretary Katie Zacharia. The Washington Examiner, WTOP News, and the Kyiv Post reported that Zacharia left her role after less than a week on the job, with the Kyiv Post reporting she was fired after five days. [4][7][8]

The White House announced that Zacharia would transition out of the position shortly after replacing Karoline Leavitt, according to the Washington Examiner. President Trump stated that he has no short list of replacements and believes the White House has been operating well. [4]

Separately, the White House denied reports that it ordered restrictions on Ukrainian access to Starshield communications, according to reporting from Nepali Patro and The Annapurna Express. [2][3]