Trump Suspends Russia Sanctions 48 Hours Before Deadline

Two days before a statutory deadline, President Donald Trump halted the implementation of sweeping economic sanctions against Russia. The executive order, posted to the White House website late Friday, cited national interest without detailing how suspending penalties on Moscow served it.

The move dismantles legislation named for the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Congress passed the bill with large majorities last month following Graham’s unexpected death in July. Trump signed it. Then he stopped it.

The package targeted Russian banks, officials and the shadow fleet of tankers moving Russian energy exports. It also required tariffs up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, exempting countries importing less than 15% of Russia’s gas that had taken steps to reduce those volumes. Drafted alongside Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the law was designed to cut off financial resources sustaining Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.

Blumenthal called the suspension a capitulation to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said lawmakers had warned this exact scenario would unfold during floor debate. He urged Congress to rewrite the statute to strip the president’s waiver authority.

The suspension arrives seven days after Trump announced an agreement to buy Russian diesel. Under that deal, Russia is set to supply over 300,000 tons immediately, 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter. Trump framed the purchase as a mechanism to lower global fuel prices. Critics across both parties argue the transaction directly funds the Ukrainian war effort while failing to address energy costs driven primarily by the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran.

An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll published Oct. 1 found Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Iran war and blame him for elevated prices. Approval ratings have dropped to near-historic lows ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, where Republicans are fighting to retain control of both chambers.

Darline Graham, appointed to serve out her brother’s Senate term, built her current campaign around the sanctions package. Endorsed by Trump and scheduled to appear with him in South Carolina next week, she faced Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in a debate Sunday in Columbia. She acknowledged enforcement remained entirely at the president’s discretion.

“It gives the president tools that he can use if he so chooses, to end the war through economic sanctions,” Graham said during the debate. “So that’s up to him as to whether or not he wants to use it.”

The White House notification submitted to Congress accompanying the executive order contained no further explanation. Trump has spent recent weeks publicly blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the failure to reach a settlement with Moscow. His administration remained largely silent on the sanctions bill between its passage and Friday night’s reversal.