SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci said Monday that President Donald Trump abandoned a 1994 U.S. promise to Ukraine by waiving Russia sanctions to do President Vladimir Putin a favor.
Budapest Memorandum
Under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine gave up the Soviet nuclear arsenal it inherited, the world’s third-largest, while the U.S., Russia, and Britain pledged to respect its sovereignty and borders.
Scaramucci said in a post on X that Ukraine kept its end while Trump treats America’s “as if it never existed.”
He said American envoys in Miami earlier this month floated expanded security guarantees that Kyiv welcomed before talks collapsed.
Trump then announced that Russia would supply 300,000 metric tons of diesel, about 2% of a month’s U.S. demand.
Scaramucci said that by walking away from that bargain to “do Putin a favor,” Trump shows whose side he instinctively takes when a dictator and a democracy collide.
Waiver to Power at Home
Trump signed an executive order Friday waiving sanctions and tariffs under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, two days before they were due to take effect.
Trump argued that sanctions could push Russia away from peace talks to end its war with Ukraine.
“If this president will walk away from that promise to please Vladimir Putin, ask yourself what he would walk away from to please himself,” Scaramucci said.
Earlier this month, Trump said Ukraine should replace President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for pushing up global diesel prices.
Diesel and Summit Talk
With the Nov. 3 midterm elections looming and the war in Iran disrupting oil supplies, Trump has been under pressure to bring down fuel costs.
The national average for regular gasoline was $4.2953 a gallon on Monday, according to the American Automobile Association, about 41% above a year ago, while diesel averaged $6.3187, up about 74%.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Al Teich
