US President Donald Trump on Friday issued an executive order suspending a sweeping package of sanctions against Russia, informing Congress that the decision was in the national interest.
The move comes just weeks after Trump signed the legislation into law. Named in honour of the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, the measure was designed to restrict the financial resources supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Trump’s unexpected decision follows his announcement last week that the United States had reached an agreement to purchase diesel from Russia in an effort to lower global energy prices. Critics have argued that such a deal could provide Moscow with additional resources to continue its war against Ukraine.
An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released on Oct. 1 found that Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the Iran war and held him responsible for rising prices. His approval ratings have fallen close to historic lows, increasing political pressure on Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 elections, as the party seeks to retain control of both chambers of Congress.
Sanctions Were a Key Part of Graham’s Legacy
Graham, a close friend and ally of Trump, died unexpectedly in July shortly after returning from Ukraine. He had strongly supported tougher economic measures against Russia to pressure Moscow into ending its war.
Following his death, lawmakers from both parties rallied behind the sanctions legislation, which Trump subsequently signed. However, the president reversed course on Friday by putting its implementation on hold.
The package was intended to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government of the financial resources needed to sustain its invasion of Ukraine, which began more than four years ago.
Co-authored by Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, the legislation imposes sanctions on Russian officials and financial institutions, as well as a so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Russian energy products.
It also authorises Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas. An exception applies to countries that purchase less than 15 per cent of Russia’s natural gas exports and have made substantial efforts to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.
The White House did not immediately provide a detailed explanation of how suspending the measures served the national interest. The decision appeared on its official website late Friday, accompanied by a notification stating that a report explaining the action had been submitted to Congress.
The suspension also comes amid Trump’s increasingly critical remarks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he has blamed for failing to reach an agreement with Putin to end the conflict.
The Trump administration had largely remained silent after the legislation passed with strong bipartisan majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, following Graham’s sudden death. Ukrainian officials had also encouraged US lawmakers to support the measure.
Trump’s Decision Follows Diesel Agreement with Putin
The latest move comes after Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase substantial quantities of Russian diesel.
According to Trump, Russia would initially supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes shortly afterwards. He also said an additional 3 million tonnes would be delivered within a relatively short period.
The proposed deal has drawn criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, who argue that buying Russian fuel could help finance Moscow’s military campaign against Ukraine. Critics have also questioned whether the arrangement would significantly reduce global fuel prices, which have risen largely because of Trump’s war against Iran.
Meanwhile, the suspended sanctions had become an important political issue for Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, who was appointed to serve the remainder of his Senate term and is now campaigning to retain the seat permanently.
After Trump signed the legislation, Darline Graham expressed her pride in the achievement, saying she wished her late brother had been alive to witness what she described as a historic moment.
During a debate earlier this week with Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, Graham, who has received Trump’s endorsement and is expected to campaign alongside him in South Carolina next week, said she was proud to have helped secure the legislation’s passage.
However, she acknowledged that the decision on whether to enforce the sanctions rested with the president.
Graham said during a debate in Columbia on Sunday that the legislation provided Trump with economic tools to pressure Russia into ending the war. She added that the ultimate objectives were to bring down fuel prices and end the conflict, arguing that global energy costs would decline once the war came to an end.