USA17 October, 20263 min read
President Donald Trump Suspends Lindsey Graham Sanctions On Russia, Citing National Interest
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Trump signed an executive order pausing enforcement of the Graham Act sanctions on Russia. The order delays sanctions and tariffs that were due to take effect under the law.
Trump pauses Russia sanctions
President Donald Trump put on hold a sweeping package of sanctions on Russia that he signed into law last month, telling Congress the pause is in the national interest.
Trump signed an executive order on Friday, two days before a deadline in the law that would put the sanctions into effect.
The law, named after late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, had passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate by large margins and sought to starve Moscow of money for the war by sanctioning Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers carrying its energy.
Trump’s executive order invoked a waiver authority, and Trump said, “Pursuant to the provisions of section four of this order, I have decided to suspend the sanctions, restrictions, and duties specified in the Graham Act.”
Democratic Representative Don Beyer said he and others had “warned” that Trump might do this, calling on Congress to “fix this flawed law to stop Trump from capitulating to Putin and ensure that it truly supports Ukraine.”
Tariffs, diesel deal, backlash
The sanctions law directed Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five biggest importers of Russian oil or gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15 percent of Russia’s natural gas exports and are taking steps to cut them. Trump’s decision to suspend the sanctions came a week after Trump said the US had signed a deal to buy diesel from Russia to try to lower global fuel prices. Democrats including the Virginia Congressman Don Beyer accused Trump of capitulating to Moscow and turning his back on Kyiv and Zelensky, and Beyer wrote on X that the move “betrays our Ukrainian partners”.
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the waiver “an important and truly historic moment,” saying the sanctions would have inflicted “serious damage” primarily on the US and global market. The executive order also exempted Russia from implementing new sanctions approved by Congress last month, a move that The New York Times said could provide an economic breather for Vladimir Putin as Washington turned to Moscow for help in lowering fuel prices.
Ukraine row and stakes
The sanctions pause deepened a row between Washington and Kyiv, as the BBC said the row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky deepens after the executive order. Ukraine accused the Trump administration of withdrawing key military support after the US struck a controversial deal to import Russian diesel, and Trump and Zelensky exchanged sharp words about one another. The BBC reported that Zelensky suggested the deal was tantamount to the US investing in Russia's war effort, and Zelensky said it was nice to be among “real leaders” while addressing an EU summit after Trump said Zelensky was “more difficult to deal with” than Vladimir Putin.
The BBC also said disruption to a US-provided satellite system used by Ukraine heightened concerns, because Starlink suddenly and unexpectedly restricted the speed at which drones could fly while still maintaining internet connection. Trump’s waivers and exemptions left the law’s pressure mechanisms in flux, and the BBC said many provisions have now been waived by Trump, while the executive order stated that suspending some was in the US “national interest”.