Trump Halts New Russia Sanctions He Previously Signed Into Law

US President Donald Trump has placed a hold on a comprehensive package of sanctions against Russia, which he had signed into law the previous month. The President informed Congress that this pause is deemed to be in the national interest. Trump issued an executive order on Friday, two days before the statutory deadline that would have enacted the sanctions.

The legislation, named in honor of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham who passed away unexpectedly in July after a trip to Ukraine, had received substantial bipartisan support, passing both the House of Representatives and the Senate by significant margins. This bipartisan bill was co-authored by Senator Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. Its objective was to curtail Moscow's funding for the war by imposing sanctions on Russian officials, banks, and a clandestine network of tankers involved in transporting Russian energy. Furthermore, it mandated that Trump impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest importers of Russian oil or gas, with an exemption for nations importing less than 15 percent of Russia’s natural gas exports and demonstrating efforts to reduce their imports.

Diesel Deal and Criticism

This decision to suspend the sanctions follows closely on the heels of an announcement last week that the US had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia in an effort to mitigate global fuel prices. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized this deal, asserting that it would benefit Russia's war efforts without impacting fuel prices. Democratic Representative Don Beyer stated that he and other colleagues had previously expressed concerns that Trump might take such an action, referencing the deal with Moscow. Beyer urged Congress to amend the legislation to prevent Trump from yielding to Putin and to ensure it genuinely supports Ukraine.

President Trump has also recently intensified his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing his failure to negotiate a peace deal with Russia. As Republicans contend to maintain their majority in Congress in the upcoming November 3 midterm elections, an AP-NORC poll released on October 1 indicated that Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the Iran war and hold him responsible for rising prices, among other domestic policy issues.