President Donald Trump waived sweeping new sanctions on Russia late Friday, suspending measures under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act just days before they were to take effect. The executive order cited “national interests” as justification, despite the law’s overwhelming bipartisan passage last month to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
The 60-day pause, confirmed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday, aims to analyze the sanctions’ potential impact on global and U.S. economies amid volatile energy markets. Rubio said the administration needed time to assess the effects of tariffs and restrictions, including those targeting major buyers of Russian oil like China and India.
Bipartisan backlash erupted immediately. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called the move “beyond irresponsible,” questioning how the administration could ignore a law passed 86-11 by the Senate. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) accused Trump of “sucking up to Vladimir Putin,” while Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wrote, “Lindsey would be appalled,” referencing the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, the act’s namesake. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) labeled it a “surrender to Putin” that betrays Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the decision as Russia intensified strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. “This Act could have helped enormously — and still can! But it needs to actually work,” he posted on X, urging global support for the sanctions. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev hailed the waiver as a “historic event” fostering U.S.-Russia economic dialogue.
The waiver follows Trump’s recent diesel deal with Moscow and pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian refineries, further straining relations with Kyiv.
