Trump Waives Key Provisions of New Russia Sanctions Law Days Before They Take Effect

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday night that waives most of the sanctions, restrictions and duties contained in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The order was issued two days before those measures were due to take effect on Sunday.

The law, which Trump signed on September 18, directed the administration to impose sanctions on Russian officials, banks and the shadow fleet of tankers that move Russian oil. It also required tariffs of up to 100 percent on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude and natural gas, along with penalties for countries that knowingly continued large purchases after the deadline. The legislation named the late South Carolina senator who had spent more than a year building bipartisan support for tighter economic pressure on Moscow.

In the order, Trump wrote that he was “hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Graham Act.” He added that he had submitted a certification to Congress stating that the waiver was “in the national interests of the United States.” The waiver remains in force until the president or senior officials decide further action is appropriate.

The decision arrives one week after the United States announced an agreement with Russia to increase supplies of diesel to American and global markets. Treasury officials issued temporary relief covering certain Russian-origin diesel transactions. Trump has cited high fuel prices as a reason for seeking additional Russian energy supplies ahead of the November midterm elections.

The tariffs that were waived would have applied most directly to China and India, the largest buyers of Russian oil. Both governments had raised concerns about the legislation after Trump signed it. The order also blocks a separate 500 percent ad valorem duty on Russian goods that the law authorized, subject to limited exceptions already written into the statute.

Ukraine’s government has criticized the waiver. Officials in Kyiv have argued that delaying the sanctions reduces pressure on Moscow while Ukrainian forces continue to face Russian missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure. Trump has publicly questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s approach to negotiations and suggested that Kyiv needs new leadership.

A bipartisan group of roughly twenty U.S. lawmakers sent a letter earlier in the week urging Trump to implement the law fully. The letter thanked the president for signing the measure and called for “full and faithful implementation.” Trump’s order instead uses the waiver authority that the statute itself provided, requiring only a certification to Congress.

The Graham Act passed both chambers by large margins. Graham, who died in July, had framed the bill as a way to cut the financial resources sustaining Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began with the full-scale invasion in 2022. The law also contained separate authorities related to Iran.

Energy markets have shown limited immediate reaction. Diesel prices in the United States remain elevated relative to recent years, and the administration has argued that additional Russian supply can help ease pressure on American consumers. Critics in Congress, including members of both parties, have said the diesel arrangement and the sanctions waiver together strengthen Moscow’s position without delivering lasting price relief.

The order does not affect earlier sanctions already in place under previous executive orders. It applies specifically to the new authorities created by the September legislation. Trump retains the option to withdraw the waiver at a later date if he determines that conditions have changed.

For India, the waiver removes an immediate threat of steep U.S. tariffs on Indian goods that would have been triggered by continued purchases of Russian oil. Indian refiners have increased Russian crude imports substantially since 2022, citing discounted prices and reliable volumes. Similar relief applies to Chinese buyers.

The White House has not released additional detail on the national-interest certification beyond the language in the order. Officials have pointed to the combination of energy prices, the ongoing war, and U.S. electoral timing as factors in the timing of the waiver.

The next formal deadline under the law has now passed without the new sanctions taking effect. Attention turns to whether the administration will revisit the waiver after the midterms or whether the diesel supply arrangement will expand. Ukrainian and European officials have indicated they will continue to press for tighter enforcement of existing measures while the new authorities remain suspended.