美国能源部长克里斯·赖特（Donald Trump）周日为唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）总统免除旨在向弗拉基米尔·普京总统施压的新制裁和关税的决定进行了辩护，声称豁免不是俄罗斯的“经济命脉”。
“这是试图结束战争的胡萝卜。这不是俄罗斯的经济命脉，”赖特周日在“本周”节目中说
周五晚些时候，特朗普签署了一项行政命令，在新制裁生效前两天放弃了新制裁。经济惩罚是根据一项以已故共和党参议员林赛·格雷厄姆命名的法案要求的，该法案是总统在一个月前的周日签署的。
在参议院取代他的格雷厄姆的姐姐表示，她不同意特朗普的观点。
“就我个人而言，我会选择保持对俄罗斯的压力，以结束战争并降低天然气价格，因为我不信任普京，也不信任俄罗斯，”达林·格雷厄姆周六表示。
乌克兰总统弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基表示，川普的决定是“错误的”，并补充说，“它肯定只会帮助俄罗斯人。”
但是，在接受美国广播公司新闻的玛莎·拉达茨采访时，赖特坚持认为，放弃这些制裁确实会给俄罗斯带来压力。
赖特说：“俄罗斯从此举中受益的唯一方式是出口柴油，这意味着他们要么减少国内柴油消耗，减少战争努力，要么有能力修复炼油厂，只有通过与乌克兰达成和平协议、能源停火或向和平迈出一步，才能实现这一点。”
特朗普的行政命令是在他宣布与俄罗斯达成协议，最终从该国进口数百万吨柴油一周后发布的，尽管2022年的一项法律明确禁止美国进口俄罗斯能源。他还抨击了泽连斯基针对俄罗斯炼油厂的攻击，声称这些攻击正在推高价格。
柴油协议是在国内柴油价格平均保持在每加仑6美元以上的情况下达成的，引发了两党议员的强烈反对。泽连斯基称这是送给普京的“生日礼物”上周日接受《本周》采访他说，另一场冲突推高了柴油价格。
“谈论价格并将其与乌克兰联系起来更简单，因为世界上每个人都明白，由于中东战争，价格正在上涨，”他说。
虽然一些议员指责特朗普最近的行动向普京投降，但赖特表示，政府仍在向俄罗斯领导人施加“很大压力”。
“从来没有像特朗普政府那样对俄罗斯实施如此严厉的制裁，”这位能源部长说。“这场战争已经进行了四年半，150万人的伤亡并没有结束这场战争。特朗普总统不会只是举起双臂说，“好吧，我想我们永远也阻止不了它。”＂
几个月来，美国人一直在努力应对更高的汽油和柴油价格；二月底美国与伊朗开战后，价格开始上涨。
Wright承认人们对额外的成本感到沮丧。
他说：“人们对汽油和柴油价格高企感到不安，我们理解这一点，这就是为什么我们正在通过各种不同的途径来解决这个问题。”“相比之下，民主党15年来竭尽所能提高能源价格。”
Energy secretary defends waiving sanctions on Russia： ＇It’s not an economic lifeline＇
Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday defended President Donald Trump’s decision to waive new sanctions and tariffs meant to pressure President Vladimir Putin， asserting that the exemption was not an “economic lifeline” for Russia．
“This is a carrot to try to end a war． It＇s not an economic lifeline for Russia，＂ Wright said Sunday on ＂This Week．＂
Late Friday， Trump signed an executive order waiving new sanctions two days before they were set to take effect． The economic punishments were required under a bill named after the late Republican Sen． Lindsey Graham that the president signed exactly one month ago Sunday．
Graham’s sister， who replaced him in the Senate， said she disagreed with Trump．
＂Personally， I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia to end the war and get the gas prices down， because I don＇t trust Putin and don＇t trust Russia，” Darline Graham said Saturday．
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Trump’s decision was “wrong，” adding， “It definitely helps only the Russians．”
But in his interview with ABC News＇ Martha Raddatz， Wright maintained that waiving these sanctions does pressure Russia．
“The only way Russia gets benefit from this move means they have to export diesel， which means they have to either consume less diesel internally， reduce the war effort， or have an ability to repair their refineries， which they only can get to through a peace agreement with Ukraine， an energy ceasefire， or a step towards peace，” Wright said．
Trump’s executive order came a week after he announced a deal with Russia to eventually import millions of tons of diesel from the country despite a 2022 law that explicitly bans the United States from importing Russian energy． He also lashed out at Zelenskyy over his country’s targeting of Russian oil refineries， asserting those attacks are driving up prices．
The diesel deal， made as domestic diesel prices remain above $6 a gallon on average， has prompted bipartisan backlash from lawmakers． Zelenskyy called it a “birthday gift” to Putin， and in aninterview on “This Week” last Sunday， said the higher diesel prices are fueled by another conflict．
“It＇s more simple to speak about the prices and connect it with Ukraine， when everybody in the world understands because of the war in Middle East， the prices are rising，” he said．
While some lawmakers have accused Trump of capitulating to Putin with his recent actions， Wright said the administration is still putting “a lot of pressure” on the Russian leader．
“There have never been sanctions nearly as strong on Russia today as there， as there is under the Trump administration，” the energy secretary said． “Four-and-a-half years into this war， a million-and-a-half casualties haven＇t brought an end to the war． President Trump isn＇t going to just throw up his arms and say， ‘Well， I guess we can never stop it．’”
Americans have been grappling with higher gas and diesel prices for months； prices started increasing after the U．S． went to war with Iran in late February．
Wright acknowledged that people are frustrated with the additional costs．
“People are upset about high gasoline and diesel prices， and we understand that， which is why we＇re working in all different avenues to address that problem，” he said． “In contrast， the Democrats for 15 years have done everything they can to make energy more expensive．”
