DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad sees the suspension of sanctions as a diplomatic gain for Moscow and an open rift between Washington and Kiev, as reported by news agency dispatches and national media.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Donald Trump signed a decree on Friday exempting Russian energy revenues from sanctions and customs duties, two days before they were due to take effect (ARY News, AFP).
- 02
Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin's envoy, deemed the suspension of the Graham law "important and truly historic" on Saturday.
- 03
Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the European Union for nearly eighty billion dollars in additional aid for next year (Daily Times).
ANALYSIS
Islamabad, October 17, 2026. The Pakistani press is reporting on Donald Trump's decision to suspend sanctions against Russia, placing it first on the terrain of relations between major powers. According to an AFP dispatch relayed by ARY News, the American president signed a decree on Friday setting aside sanctions and customs duties targeting Russian energy revenues, two days before they were to come into effect. ARY sees this as "a major diplomatic gain for Russia" and notes that the dispute with Volodymyr Zelensky is fueling speculation that Washington is moving closer to Moscow, nearly five years after the start of the offensive.
The Russian reaction is taking center stage. On Saturday, Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin's emissary, described the suspension of the Graham law on social media as "an important and truly historic moment". He added that the text would have caused "serious damage first to the American economy and global markets". The dispatch specifies that the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin, who appeared on Friday in military uniform and stated his intention to take the rest of eastern Ukraine, had not yet reacted.
Daily Times, on the other hand, is emphasizing the justification put forward by Washington. Donald Trump is said to have acted after an agreement with Vladimir Putin to put Russian diesel back on global markets, in order to alleviate fuel shortages and rising oil prices before the midterm elections. The text, which authorized heavy customs duties against the main buyers of Russian oil and gas and the ghost fleet, is thus presented as being sacrificed to American domestic constraints.
The newspaper describes a isolated Kiev. Asked in Brussels, in front of European Union leaders, whether Ukraine was being used as a scapegoat for American political difficulties, Volodymyr Zelensky responded with a notable silence. Donald Trump had also criticized Ukrainian strikes against Russian refineries, and disruptions to satellite communications had hindered Ukraine's defense. Volodymyr Zelensky has requested nearly eighty billion dollars in additional aid for next year and more air defense before winter, while European partners are worried about the growing gap.
The two titles remain factual and do not comment much on the consequences for third-party countries that buy Russian energy.
