Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Before They Take Effect — SkimNews
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- Trump issued an executive order Friday (Oct 16) waiving many Russia-related sanctions, restrictions, and duties days before they were set to take effect under a law he signed last month.
- The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, and any country that knowingly bought Russian energy after the law's enactment.
- Trump signed the legislation into law in mid-September despite now neutralizing its core enforcement provisions barely a month later.
- Trump's order states he "submitted to Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States."
- The waiver comes as Trump has publicly warmed toward Russia and criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, including suggesting Ukraine needs a new leader.
- India, among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, had raised concerns about the sanctions bill — concerns the executive order effectively resolves.
Why it matters: Trump signed a bipartisan-backed sanctions bill in mid-September then voided its core provisions within weeks, shielding India — one of the world's largest Russian oil buyers — and other targeted importers from 100% tariffs. The move converts a law designed to pressure Moscow into a paper tiger, rewarding the very countries the Graham Act was written to punish.
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