Trump waives broad new Russia sanctions, Zelenskyy condemns it as 'wrong'
Trump signed the Graham Bill, which targeted Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, into law in September.
Key points
- Trump waived key parts of the Graham Act sanctions on Russia two days before the law's deadline.
- Zelenskyy said the waiver is wrong and helps only the Russians.
- The order preserves existing sanctions imposed under earlier executive orders.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Friday waiving key parts of new U.S. sanctions on Russia, two days before the law's implementation deadline. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the move on Saturday in a post on X, saying the decision "seems wrong to me" and helps only the Russians.
The sanctions package, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, was passed by the House on Sept. 16 and signed into law by Trump two days later. Its primary backer was the late Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina.
What the law required
The act required the president to raise 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 including China and India that rank among the top five purchasers of Russian crude oil or gas.
Trump's order waives these two provisions but keeps existing sanctions on Russia under earlier executive orders. The law could also sanction Russian leaders, officials and financial institutions, and expand sanctions on Iran.
The decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Reaction from both sides
Zelenskyy said he expects further relief, posting that "Sanctions relief will continue" and that the diesel deal and the Graham Act move are not the end of it. The waiver follows a temporary U.S. exemption for Russian diesel exports through April 2027, made to ease a supply crunch caused by the war in Iran.
Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin's economy envoy, called the suspension "an important and truly historic moment" on X. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who also drafted the act, condemned the waiver in an X post criticizing Trump.
