U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday night waiving parts of a recently enacted sanctions package aimed at curbing Russia’s ability to continue its war against Ukraine. “I have submitted to Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States,” Trump wrote in Friday’s order. The House passed the Russia sanctions bill on September 16, and Trump signed it into law two days later. The bill was introduced more than a year ago and its primary sponsor was the late Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican senator who represented South Carolina. Titled the Lindsey O. Graham Russia and Iran Sanctions Act of 2026, the legislation targeted Russia’s economy, intending to penalize the country for its continued large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The law required the president to increase tariffs on all Russian goods imported into the U.S. by up to 500% no later than 30 days after its enactment. It also required Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries such as China and India, which are among the top five buyers of Russian crude oil or gas. Trump’s latest order waives these two parts of the Graham Act and comes two days before the law’s implementation deadline. However, the order preserves existing sanctions against Russia under previous executive orders. The law could also sanction Russian leaders, officials and financial institutions, and expand sanctions on Iran. Revenue from oil sales is critical to financing Russia’s war effort. The move also comes a week after the Trump administration temporarily suspended sanctions on Russian diesel exports until April 2027 to ease the supply crisis caused by the war in Iran. High gas prices are a sensitive issue for voters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Trump’s Republican Party has a narrow majority in both houses of Congress. A ‘historic moment’ “The suspension of some of the provisions of the Graham Act marks an important and truly historic moment.” Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s economic envoy, said in a post on X. “US-Russia economic dialogue and peace efforts will continue,” Dmitriev added. But Trump’s opponents have criticized the move. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who also wrote the Graham Act, condemned the latest exemption. “Donald Trump confirms once again that he is on the side of a bloodthirsty thug and enablers of Russia’s war machine and against the majority of Americans, their representatives in both houses of Congress and our European allies,” Blumenthal said in a post on October 16, 2026. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the US-Russia diesel deal could set a precedent for further sanctions relief, while highlighting Ukraine’s continued dependence on US technology and military intelligence despite efforts to develop alternatives. “Sanctions will be lifted after gas,” Zelenskyy said. “They will be lifted by something else. Then this will reach the banking system, certain individuals, the chemical industry.” Earlier this week, reports emerged that Ukraine had restricted SpaceX’s Starlink military app, Starshield. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X that the US government and president were ultimately responsible for any restrictions on the network.
