Trump Suspends Several Russia Sanctions Amid Zelensky Dispute
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US President Donald Trump has waived several sanctions on Russia that Congress had recently passed. A waiver temporarily stops a law from being used, even though the law still exists.
Sanctions are official measures used to punish a country, often by limiting trade or financial activity. Congress had approved new sanctions on Russia, but Trump has now paused many of them.
The White House said the move was linked to 'national security' concerns. This phrase is often used by governments to explain decisions about protecting the country's safety and interests.
The decision comes as a serious row, or dispute, between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to grow. Tensions between the two leaders have increased recently.
It is not yet clear which specific restrictions have been paused or for how long the waiver will last. The move affects rules that were designed to pressure Moscow, the Russian government.
The timing of the waiver has drawn attention, since it comes during a period of disagreement over Ukraine. Observers are watching closely to see how the situation develops in the coming days.
Vocabulary10 words
- waived
- officially stopped a rule for some time
- sanctions
- official punishments, often stopping trade or money, used against a country
- national security
- keeping a country and its people safe from danger
- row
- a serious disagreement or argument
- Volodymyr Zelensky
- the president of Ukraine
- restrictions
- official rules that limit what can be done
- Moscow
- the capital of Russia; often used to mean the Russian government
- Congress
- the part of the US government that makes laws
- tensions
- feelings of disagreement or unfriendliness between sides
- White House
- the official home and office of the US president
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Quiz
Answer key
1. He temporarily waived several of them 2. National security concerns 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
US President Donald Trump has _____ several sanctions on Russia that Congress had recently passed. A waiver temporarily stops a law from being used, even though the law still exists.
_____ are official measures used to punish a country, often by limiting trade or financial activity. Congress had approved new sanctions on Russia, but Trump has now paused many of them.
The White House said the move was linked to '_____ security' concerns. This phrase is often used by governments to explain decisions about protecting the country's safety and interests.
The decision comes as a serious _____, or dispute, between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr _____ continues to grow. Tensions between the two leaders have increased recently.
It is not yet clear which specific _____ have been paused or for how long the waiver will last. The move affects rules that were designed to pressure _____, the Russian government.
Discussion questions
- Why might a government choose to waive sanctions temporarily instead of removing them completely?
- How might a disagreement between two leaders affect decisions about sanctions or foreign policy?
- What risks or benefits could come from pausing sanctions on another country?
- Why is 'national security' often used as a reason for political decisions?
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