That's because until recently, there has been a core group of old guard Republican senators, including Mitt Romney, John Cornyn, Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, and Lindsey Graham among others, who were/are pro-Ukraine and would have blocked Trump from other things he wanted to do more if Trump had insisted on removing sanctions. Even at the time of his death Graham was trying to get more aid for Ukraine.

(Keep in mind this is Senate, not House, and a different set of powers and rules. But look at any major Ukraine legislation that has crossed the Senate floor in the last two years and you'll see that same core group of pro-Ukraine senators supporting it.)

These days, it's not the same. None of those guys I named are forces anymore -- some retired, some primaried out, at least one dead and one we're just not sure -- so Trump is now dropping Russia sanctions without that same kind of Senate opposition.

He would have done it on day one of his second term if he'd been allowed to, but they said no and he needed their support on other things, like approving the One Big Beautiful Butffucked Bill last summer and trying desperately to get them to pass the SAVE America Act, which they have not yet done and I hope never will.

That is one good point. Now he's loosened them. You didn't go anywhere with that. You didn't mention any of the other fuckery though. Strange.