Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Before They Take Effect

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday waiving Russia-related sanctions and tariffs days before they were due to take effect. He used authority in a law he signed last month, which aimed to increase pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The White House’s escape hatch was a presidential finding that enforcing the law wasn’t in the national interest.

On October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said easing the pressure would help Russia. “The decision to cancel all of this, to block all of this, well, it seems to me that this is simply wrong and only helps the Russians. It only serves their joy and desire to constantly kill people,” he told reporters. “This certainly does not stop the war.”

A law with a presidential override

Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in mid-September. The law would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on goods imported from the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil or gas. It also covered countries that knowingly bought Russian oil or gas 30 days after the law took effect, or ranked among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions.

The law also let the president waive the sanctions by informing Congress that he had determined they weren’t in the national interest. Trump’s order says the waiver will stay in effect until he or his top officials decide that “further action is appropriate.” Even after Congress passed the law and Trump signed it, the executive retains control of the decision.

“I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States,” Trump wrote. He added: “I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act.”

The House passed the legislation with a majority of Republicans and 58 Democrats. The late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, led the effort in Congress before his unexpected death in July.

Fuel prices, allies and election pressure

Trump’s move came as his administration sought to lower fuel prices. He had struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow Russian diesel sales to the United States and world markets amid global fuel shortages, seeking lower U.S. fuel prices before the midterm elections. The deal drew bipartisan criticism.

On October 13, a bipartisan group of 12 senators, including six Republicans, wrote to Trump and called the deal “a betrayal” to U.S. allies. They urged him to enforce the act and sanction Russia. “Both chambers passed the legislation with resounding, bipartisan votes, clearly demonstrating our intent and granting you the authorities to broker a just and fair peace,” the senators wrote. They said the authorities required economic pressure on Russia and its chief enablers, “in particular China.”

Five Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in a Thursday letter to the administration. They urged officials to revoke the license and avoid further general licenses that would reopen Russian energy transactions. Such deals, they warned, would “restore revenue to the Kremlin’s war chest.”

China and India, two of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, had raised concerns about the legislation. Beijing said it “consistently opposed long-arm jurisdiction that lacks a basis in international law,” while India warned Washington that new tariffs could affect bilateral ties.

Congress objects; the executive proceeds

U.S. Representative Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, said Trump was giving in to Putin. “Trump’s latest surrender to Putin again betrays our Ukrainian partners and defies clear congressional intent of legislation designed to punish Russia for its illegal war of aggression,” Beyer said.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, called the decision “beyond irresponsible” in a social media post. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Massachusetts, said the diesel deal and the president’s effort to undercut Ukraine’s self-defense showed why Congress needed to make its will known and “work that will.”

The measures were due to take effect in the coming days. Analysts said the sanctions could have pushed oil prices higher, while soaring fuel prices had become a liability for Republicans seeking to retain control of Congress. The reporting attributed increased fuel costs to the war between the United States and Israel and Iran, and said experts primarily blamed Trump’s war against Iran. Trump’s order invoked national interest; the waiver leaves that decision with the president and his top officials.