Trump Signed Russia Sanctions, Then Waived Them

Caption: Donald Trump signing an executive order (archival video still). Credit: White House / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

President Donald Trump has waived major Russia sanctions and tariffs in a law he signed less than a month ago, stopping the new measures before their October 18 implementation deadline. His October 16 executive order cites the national interest while leaving older sanctions under existing executive orders in place.

The action reverses the immediate effect of legislation intended to tighten economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine. Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act on September 18 after broad congressional support.

The pause reaches beyond direct trade with Russia

The paused measures include new penalties aimed at Russian officials, financial institutions and the networks that move Russian oil, ABC News reported. The law also provided for sharply higher duties on Russian goods and on goods from major buyers of Russian oil and gas.

Those trade measures were designed to reach beyond transactions with Russia itself. Penalizing countries that keep buying its energy would increase the pressure on an important source of Russian revenue.

The order sets out those duties and then waives their application. It separately preserves sanctions already imposed under the existing executive orders it identifies, so the new action does not erase every U.S. restriction on Russia.

Trump used a waiver power Congress included

Congress included a waiver power in the law. Trump says he submitted the required certification and explanatory report to Congress, asserting that the pause serves U.S. national interests. The public order does not reproduce that explanation in detail.

The administration says enforcement would hurt talks

In a statement reported by ABC, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said imposing the sanctions now would impede efforts to negotiate a durable peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. She said the president could use the authorities later if he judged that doing so would advance national interests.

The waiver follows a separate decision to allow Russian diesel into U.S. and global markets as the administration seeks relief from high energy prices, AP reported. That earlier move had already drawn objections from senators in both parties.

Congressional support became a point of criticism

The new pause prompted substantive criticism from Republicans as well as Democrats. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis pointed to the Senate’s 86-11 vote for the law and argued that the administration should enforce the pressure Congress approved, according to ABC. Republican Sen. John Cornyn shared a call for Congress to investigate the decision.

Democratic critics argued that the waiver weakened leverage over Vladimir Putin. The dispute is over whether withholding the new penalties assists peace negotiations or gives Russia room to continue the war; the administration and its congressional critics offer opposite assessments.

The order has no automatic restart date

There is no automatic restart date. The order says the waivers remain in effect until the president or designated officials determine that further action is appropriate. For now, the new penalties are on hold and the older restrictions specified in the order remain in force.

References: IMPLEMENTING THE LINDSEY O. GRAHAM SANCTIONING RUSSIA AND IRAN ACT OF 2026 | Trump’s decision to waive Russian sanctions outrages Congress, but no quick counter seen | Trump puts new Russia sanctions that he recently signed into law on hold, citing national interest | Trump signs order waiving Graham Act sanctions on Russia, drawing backlash from some lawmakers and Zelenskyy