Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Congress Just Passed

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday waiving Russia-related sanctions and tariffs, just days before they were due to take effect. The move undid a bipartisan law he had signed only last month. The measures included duties on Russian goods and penalties for buying Russian oil and gas. Trump said the waiver served the national interests of the United States.

The law, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, aimed to tighten the screws on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022. Trump signed it in mid-September. Its primary congressional backer, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, championed the effort before his unexpected death in July.

What the Law Would Have Done

The legislation 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 targeted countries that knowingly bought Russian oil or gas 30 days after the law’s enactment, or ranked among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions. A majority of Republicans and 58 Democrats voted for it in the House.

The law also gave the president an escape hatch: he can waive sanctions by informing Congress that he has determined they aren't in the national interest. Trump used it. "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," he wrote. His order said the waiver would remain in effect until he or his top officials determined that "further action is appropriate."

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.

Bipartisan Backlash

The waiver followed a deal Trump struck with Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow Russian diesel sales to the United States and world markets amid global fuel shortages, a bid to lower U.S. fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections. The deal drew criticism from both parties. On October 13, 12 senators, six of them Republicans, wrote to Trump, calling it "a betrayal" of U.S. allies and urging him to enforce the Graham Act.

"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. "These authorities require you to apply economic pressure on Russia and the chief enablers of its war, in particular China, and thereby enhance your negotiating position to bring a swift end to this ruinous conflict."

Five Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in a Thursday letter asking the administration to revoke the license. "We urge the Administration to revoke this license and not issue further general licenses that reopen Russian energy transactions and restore revenue to the Kremlin's war chest," they wrote.

Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, called the waiver "Trump's latest surrender to Putin" that "again betrays our Ukrainian partners and defies clear congressional intent of legislation designed to punish Russia for its illegal war of aggression." Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, called the decision "beyond irresponsible," adding: "It's unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day." Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Massachusetts, called the diesel deal "shameful and dangerous" and said it underscores "how critical it is for Congress to make its will known and then work that will."

Kyiv Responds

Trump had publicly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and suggested Kyiv needed a new leader. He also blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for rising U.S. fuel prices.

Speaking to reporters October 17, Zelenskyy said easing pressure on Russia would escalate the war. "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," he said. "It only serves their joy and desire to constantly kill people. This certainly does not stop the war." He defended the refinery strikes as a way to pressure Russia's economy, which has financed Putin's nearly five-year war. In a recent interview, Zelenskyy called Putin "real evil" and asked: "How can Trump be friends with him? I think that it's a mistake."

The reporting said the war between the United States and Israel and Iran had contributed to higher fuel costs, and analysts said sanctions could have risked pushing oil prices higher. Experts mainly attribute soaring fuel prices to Trump's war against Iran. They've become a liability for Republicans trying to keep control of Congress.

Why This Matters:

Congress passed a law with strong bipartisan majorities, and the president signed it. Weeks later, one executive order sidelined the law before it took effect. The statute gives the president waiver power, so the move is legal. But lawmakers who passed the bill say it defies their intent, and Tillis's criticism shows the unease isn't limited to one party. For Ukraine, the stakes are immediate: Zelenskyy argues that easing pressure on Russia's energy revenue prolongs a war that's killing civilians. American households face a real trade-off, too, as fuel prices squeeze budgets. Yet the sanctions' critics and defenders disagree over who should bear that cost, and whether lower prices secured through a deal with Moscow are worth what Ukraine and Congress's own authority pay.