Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Two Days Before They Take Effect — SkimNews
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- Trump signed an executive order on Friday (October 16, 2026) waiving sweeping U.S. sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia's energy revenues, acting two days before the measures were due to take effect.
- Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy, called the suspension "an important and truly historic moment" and claimed the waived act would have caused "serious damage first and foremost to the U.S. economy and global markets."
- The Lindsey Graham Act — named after the deceased U.S. senator who sponsored it — had been set to target Russia's energy and defence sectors as well as Putin and other senior officials.
- Putin appeared in military uniform on Friday and said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine, while the Kremlin has yet to officially react to the sanctions waiver.
- The move comes amid a clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that has fuelled speculation Trump is increasingly siding with Moscow nearly five years into Russia's offensive against Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.
Why it matters: Trump's last-minute waiver — scrapping sanctions just 48 hours before they took effect — delivers Russia a major diplomatic win at a moment when Putin is signaling plans to escalate in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin's silence, despite Dmitriev's triumphant messaging, suggests Moscow is weighing how to publicly claim the victory without accelerating its collision with Zelenskyy and European allies.
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