Trump waives key Russia sanctions just before they were set to take effect

Published October 17, 2026 • By Naeemofficial782

President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Friday implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 — while simultaneously waiving its tariffs and many of its core sanctions, just 48 hours before they were scheduled to take effect.

In the order, Trump invoked Section 115 of the Act, which authorizes the executive branch to waive statutory penalties upon certifying to Congress that such action serves US national interests. "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," the order stated.

The legislation, which Trump signed into law on September 18 after it passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support, was named in honor of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a prominent supporter of Ukraine who died in July.

What the law would have done

The Graham Act was designed to give the administration additional economic leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under its provisions, duties on Russian goods would have increased by 500 per cent. It also imposed additional duties of 100 per cent on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas — such as China and India — that made new purchases on or after October 18.

The law also authorized sanctions targeting Russian officials, financial institutions, and the country's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers used to circumvent existing restrictions. Trump's order waived the tariffs and many of these sanctions. The waivers will remain in effect until the president or the secretary of state determines that further action is appropriate.

The White House has not publicly detailed the substantive justification for waiving the law's major provisions, according to the certification submitted to Congress. The law requires the administration to provide a report explaining the basis for that certification, which must be submitted in unclassified form, though it may include a classified annex.

Zelensky: 'It definitely helps only the Russians'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised the decision on Saturday, describing it as part of an expanding pattern of economic concessions to Moscow that risks emboldening the Kremlin.

"Unfortunately, the lifting of sanctions will continue. I consider the diesel deal to be the first step. It seems to me that it is impossible to stop Putin in this way. On the contrary, he feels joy, happiness that he has such support. And still, we strongly hope, and I personally do, that the President of the United States of America will do everything so that Putin stops the killings, stops strikes on our energy, and stops this war."

Zelensky thanked members of Congress for securing the passage of the Graham Act, lamenting the White House's decision to bypass legislation that enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan backing. "And now the decision to cancel all of this, to block all of this, seems to me to be wrong. It definitely helps only the Russians. It definitely does not stop the war."

Bipartisan backlash from Congress

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned the move. "The President is prolonging the war, not ending it," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) wrote on X. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) described the move as "Trump's latest surrender to Putin" and said it "betrays our Ukrainian partners and defies clear congressional intent of legislation designed to punish Russia for its illegal war of aggression."

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) argued Trump's waivers "have nothing to do with our national security, & everything to do with sucking up to Vladimir Putin." He added: "I hope my Republican colleagues will join me in condemning this craven, cowardly action."

Advocacy groups also voiced sharp criticism. Mykola Murskyj, director of advocacy at Razom for Ukraine, told RFE/RL that Trump had "squandered a golden opportunity to bring peace to Ukraine." He noted that "shockingly, these waivers don't even have an expiration date." Daniel Balson, Razom's director of advocacy, said: "Lacking the tools to end this war would be a tragedy. Having them and refusing to use them is a cruel policy choice."

The diesel deal precedent

The waiver comes a week after Trump announced a separate deal with Putin to waive sanctions on Russian diesel exports, allowing the US to purchase the fuel amid soaring prices at the pump. Under that arrangement, Russia will supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, with additional shipments planned in the coming months.

That deal drew criticism from European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who called it "very risky" and warned it would legitimise Moscow while weakening the leverage of sanctions. The Graham Act waiver now extends that same logic to the broader sanctions architecture Congress had built.

The order noted that the waivers "shall remain in effect until such time as the President or the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Trade Representative, as appropriate, determine that further action is appropriate."