U.S. President Donald Trump has invoked a national-interest waiver to suspend new duties on Russian goods and major energy buyers, drawing swift condemnation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Democratic lawmakers. The decision, made just days before a key implementation deadline for the ‘Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,’ follows an earlier easing of sanctions on Russian diesel exports and is justified by the White House as serving American national interests.
U.S. President Donald Trump has stirred a global debate by waiving critical provisions of a new sanctions package targeting Russia, a move that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly denounced as "wrong" and beneficial only to Moscow.
The executive order, signed late Friday, leverages the Graham Act’s national-interest waiver to suspend new duties on Russian goods and major buyers of Russian energy. This decision, which came just two days before the law’s implementation deadline, follows a recent temporary easing of sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska.
Zelenskyy expressed his profound disappointment on Saturday, stating in a post on X, "The decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me. And it definitely helps only the Russians. It only fuels their satisfaction and their desire to keep killing people." He further predicted that this might not be the last instance of sanctions relief, hinting at concerns over future decisions regarding gas, the banking system, and the chemical industry.
Trump’s order certifies that the waiver is "in the national interests of the United States." The legislation, officially known as the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026," was signed into law by Trump just two days after its House passage on September 16. Spearheaded by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, the act aimed to significantly cripple Russia's economy in response to its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Graham Act specifically mandated the president to increase duties on all Russian goods imported into the U.S. by up to 500% within 30 days of enactment. It also required tariffs of up to 100% on countries like China and India, identified as top purchasers of Russian crude oil or gas. Trump's recent order waives these particular stipulations while maintaining existing sanctions imposed under earlier executive orders.
The administration's move to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports through April 2027, preceding this latest waiver, was reportedly intended to mitigate a supply crunch potentially exacerbated by the conflict in Iran. The timing is also crucial, with high fuel prices being a politically sensitive issue ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for November 3, where Trump’s Republican Party currently holds a slim congressional majority.
A "Historic Moment" or a Betrayal?
The decision was met with starkly different reactions internationally. Kirill Dmitriev, economic envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin, hailed it as "an important and truly historic moment," suggesting that "The U.S.-Russia economic dialogue and peacemaking efforts will continue." This sentiment, shared in a post on X, underscores Moscow’s positive reception of the policy shift.
However, the waiver drew sharp criticism from Trump’s political opponents within the U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat and co-author of the Graham Act, lambasted the move, asserting in an post on X, "Donald Trump confirms again that he stands on the side of a bloodthirsty thug & the enablers of Russia's war machine & against the majority of Americans, their representatives in both houses of Congress, & our European allies."
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - OCTOBER 16: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a press conference during the second day of the European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium, on October 16, 2026.
Zelenskyy, speaking to reporters in Brussels, echoed his earlier warnings about the diesel agreement setting a dangerous precedent, fearing a cascade of sanctions relief. He emphasized Ukraine's ongoing reliance on U.S. military technology and intelligence, despite its efforts to develop domestic alternatives. Recent reports also highlighted Ukraine's restriction of SpaceX's Starlink military application, Starshield, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attributing any curbs on the network to the U.S. government and president.
