What happened in this Geopolitics story?

Trump waived newly-passed Russia sanctions days before they took effect, shielding China and India from secondary penalties and handing Russia's government an estimated windfall per barrel. The move drew sharp criticism from Ukraine and European leaders — though EU members imported over €1.4 billion in Russian gas in September alone.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Trump** signed an executive order waiving bipartisan Russia sanctions days before they were set to take effect, including up to 100% tariffs on goods from top Russian energy importers and penalties on countries buying Russian oil and gas.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

The blocked measures were part of legislation named after the late Senator **Lindsay Graham**, passed with bipartisan congressional support just last month; the waiver holds until the administration deems 'further action appropriate.'

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Trump Waives Russia Sanctions as EU Keeps Buying Gas — SkimNews

By Al Jazeera · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-10-17

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Trump signed an executive order waiving bipartisan Russia sanctions days before they were set to take effect, including up to 100% tariffs on goods from top Russian energy importers and penalties on countries buying Russian oil and gas.
The blocked measures were part of legislation named after the late Senator Lindsay Graham, passed with bipartisan congressional support just last month; the waiver holds until the administration deems 'further action appropriate.'
Russia's government is the biggest winner, per Vienna Institute economist Vasily Astrov, who estimates roughly 60 cents of every extra dollar per barrel of Russian oil flows into state coffers thanks to avoided discounting.
Trump's separate diesel deal brings 300,000 tonnes of Russian fuel into global markets immediately, rising to 500,000 in November and 1 million tonnes afterwards, with the US Treasury waiving sanctions on Russian diesel sales through April 2027.
China (€6.74B) and India (€4.04B) were the largest buyers of Russian crude oil in September, per CREA data, while Hungary and Slovakia bought €326M combined under EU exemptions to the bloc's Russian oil ban.
The EU imported €817M in Russian pipeline gas and €615M in LNG in September — with France's LNG imports alone jumping 103% month-over-month — data that undercuts the European Council's public regret over Trump's sanctions relief.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the diesel deal a 'negative message' with no impact on global prices, while EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis questioned whether Russia can even supply the promised volumes to US quality standards.

Why it matters: Trump's waiver removes the threat of 100% tariffs on China and India, the two largest buyers of Russian crude, and per CREA figures lets Russia capture roughly 60 cents of every extra dollar per barrel. The EU's own €1.4 billion in September Russian gas imports — including a 103% month-over-month spike in France's LNG purchases — gives Trump's 'hypocrisy' charge against European partners real teeth, even as those same partners slam his Russia energy embrace.