Trump signs Russian sanctions law as European leaders warn of escalating sabotage

Western sanctions and economic measures

Donald Trump enacted a sanctions package on Friday targeting the Russian defense sector, energy exports, and Moscow's shadow tanker fleet. The legislation, named after Senator Lindsey Graham who passed away in July, gives the US presidency authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on large buyers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commended the move following congressional approval earlier in the week.

“The best way to honor Lindsey's memory is to implement the provisions of this law fully and as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, the Kremlin seized the Russian branches of Swiss food company Nestlé and French retailer Auchan under temporary state control. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov justified the seizure on Friday by citing their origin in unfriendly countries. Auchan maintained 232 active supermarkets in the country, whereas Nestlé had halted advertising while continuing local operations. An investigation by financial outlet The Bell indicated that seized foreign businesses transferred to state control or Kremlin-connected figures saw profits fall by an average of 20%.

European security alerts and hybrid threats

French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russian state actors are expanding hybrid operations across the continent. Macron tasked the French government with drafting emergency protections for domestic critical infrastructure, defense manufacturing facilities, and energy installations. German authorities recently shut down the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian cultural center in Berlin following a thwarted drone plot against a cargo aircraft carrying munitions at Leipzig airport.

“We will not be intimidated, because we know that in Ukraine our security of today and tomorrow is at stake.”

The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russia's GRU military intelligence service increasingly deploys trained operational teams rather than local recruits to conduct sabotage. Documented incidents include arson attempts at European arms factories, targeted plots against defense executives, undersea cable damage, and repeated disruptions of Polish rail networks. On 13 September, a drone targeted a train transporting European officials returning from a Kyiv conference. On Saturday morning, Polish military aircraft scrambled before returning to base at 10:30 after confirming that Russian strike drones attacking western Ukraine did not breach Polish airspace.

Domestic political friction in Kyiv and Moscow

In Kyiv, former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov publicly demanded that Ukraine organize general elections, becoming the first prominent political figure to do so since 2022. Fedorov released a video addressing wartime governance and corruption concerns after Zelensky dismissed him in July. Martial law currently prohibits nationwide elections during the ongoing war, and parliament will vote on Wednesday on Zelensky's nomination of interim minister Yevhen Khmara to lead the defense ministry.

“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism with which Ukraine can restore a full democratic process, even in the midst of a prolonged war.”

In Moscow, Vladimir Putin cast his ballot on Friday in parliamentary elections for the State Duma, the first legislative vote held since the 2022 invasion. Russian election authorities excluded the anti-war party Yabloko from the ballot in August, leaving only parties supportive of the war. Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov reported that independent observers were blocked from polling stations in Moscow, while voters encountered repeated disruptions in the state electronic voting system.