Donald Trump defended his decision to suspend sweeping new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia and major buyers of Russian energy.

President Donald Trump slammed his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and defended his decision to waive sweeping sanctions planned against Russia as an effort to keep Moscow at the negotiating table amid criticism from Kyiv and US lawmakers that it sends the wrong message to the Kremlin.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded after President Trump waived Russia’s key US-related sanctions days before new law taking effect. On Friday, Trump signed an executive...