The Speaker of the US House of Representatives warns Trump against easing Russia sanctions: “Putin cannot be trusted”

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US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson revealed that he urged the White House, in private conversations, to study the potential consequences of easing sanctions imposed on Russia, at a time when Moscow continues its war on Ukraine. Last week, US President Donald Trump suspended the implementation of a bill imposing sanctions on Russia and Iran, presented by Senator Lindsey Graham, after his administration eased some restrictions imposed on Russian diesel exports.

“We realize that Putin cannot be trusted, and he proves that over and over again,” Johnson said in an interview with Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” program.

He added that he informed the White House team of the need to discuss the issue and think carefully about “the unintended consequences that may ensue,” noting that Trump is evaluating the decision, as he does with the rest of the files.

Trump's decision to allow Russian diesel to flow into the United States and suspend the implementation of new secondary sanctions sparked criticism from both the Republican and Democratic parties. Secondary sanctions usually target parties or entities that deal with countries subject to sanctions, even if they are not American.

On the other hand, senior officials in the US administration defended the move, noting that a number of European countries import Russian fuel, and warning that imposing secondary sanctions may affect Washington’s relations with countries that trade with Moscow.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent said, in an interview with the "Meet the Press" program on NBC, on Sunday, that the only measure that has been lifted is the ban on diesel, adding that Britain had eased, in May, the ban on diesel and jet fuel made from Russian crude oil.

This step comes in light of the pressure Trump is facing due to the rise in diesel prices, especially with American farmers relying on it. Energy Minister Chris Wright raised the possibility that easing sanctions would prompt Russia to reduce the intensity of the war in Ukraine, out of a desire to maintain its diesel exports. Trump justified his position by saying, in a post on the “Truth Social” platform, that he did not want to take any step that would, in an uncalculated manner, remove Russia from the negotiating table.

In a related context, Johnson acknowledged that some of his colleagues had expressed concerns about Ukrainian accusations that the Trump administration had reduced Kiev's access to the Starshield satellite internet service and was no longer exchanging intelligence information related to imminent Russian strikes with ballistic missiles.

Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal revealed on Monday that he co-hosted a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who expressed his concern about the status of space service and the exchange of intelligence information.

Blumenthal said that the United States stands with Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, adding that Kiev wants peace and is ready to negotiate, but he warned that making concessions to Putin will not succeed, considering that the Russian president only responds to force.

On the other hand, Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, denied that the administration had ordered Ukraine's access to Starchild to be reduced or to stop sharing intelligence information with it.

When Trump was asked on Monday about these accusations, he said that he did not know who was responsible, but that he wanted to know what happened. He also held Zelensky responsible for the continuation of the war, saying that Ukraine could have reached a settlement a long time ago if the Ukrainian president had heeded his advice. Trump added that perhaps it is time for Zelensky to bring in someone else to take over the negotiations.