Trump Waives Russia Sanctions and Tariffs Ahead of Enforcement

President Donald Trump triggered bipartisan criticism in Washington on Friday, October 16, 2026, after suspending new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia just two days before enforcement was scheduled to begin. The decision reversed a measure Congress passed to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine, raising concerns among lawmakers and US allies about Washington's approach to Russia and energy prices.

The restrictions were established under legislation named after the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, which Trump signed into law on September 18. According to CNN, the measure authorized tariffs of up to 500% on US imports from Russia and 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil and natural gas.

Trump's executive order waived the restrictions after his administration faced pressure to reduce fuel costs ahead of the midterm elections. The legislation permits the president to waive certain provisions if he certifies to Congress that doing so serves US national interests.

In the order issued Friday, Trump said, "I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act."

He also stated, "I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States."

The order did not provide a detailed explanation for the decision. CBS News reported that the announcement followed an earlier easing of restrictions on Russia's energy sector and a deal involving 300,000 tons of diesel imports from Russia.

That shipment represents approximately 2.2 million barrels, slightly more than half the 4.1 million barrels of diesel the United States consumes in one day, according to CBS News. However, damage to Russian refining capacity has raised uncertainty about delivery timing, while experts have questioned whether the arrangement could offset oil supply disruptions associated with the war involving Iran.

Oil market movements offered mixed signals after the announcement. CNN reported that oil futures declined Monday morning as traders anticipated additional energy supplies, while Brent crude approached $110 a barrel by early Monday afternoon, near a five-month high.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina condemned the decision, arguing that it undermined efforts to hold Moscow accountable for its invasion of Ukraine.

"Beyond irresponsible," Tillis said, describing the move as "unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day."

Tillis argued that the administration could address energy costs through other foreign policy measures rather than easing pressure on Russia.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas also criticized the waiver and invoked Graham's position on Russia.

"Lindsey would be appalled," Cornyn said.

He warned that concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin could threaten US allies beyond Ukraine.

"Helping Putin in Ukraine is reckless," Cornyn said.

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota expressed similar concerns during an appearance on CBS News' Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.

"capitulating to a bully generally means they're going to make more demands going forward," Cramer said.

He also criticized the administration's negotiating approach toward Moscow.

"That's the problem with taking sort of a business negotiation approach to negotiating with a thug, which is what Vladimir Putin is," Cramer said.

Other Republican lawmakers also challenged the decision. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska argued that the waiver could undermine the administration's stated objective of ending the war.

"The president is prolonging the war, not ending it," Bacon wrote Friday.

Former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul urged Trump to reconsider, warning that previous US concessions had failed to restrain Moscow. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina, who is filling her late brother's Senate seat and running for a full term, said she favored maintaining pressure on Russia.

"I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia to end the war and get the gas prices down because I don't trust (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and I don't trust Russia," Graham said.

The Trump administration defended the suspension as an opportunity to evaluate its broader economic consequences. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters over the weekend that the administration wanted to assess how the restrictions could affect international trade and the US economy.

"The problem is that these sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries — India, for example, and others," Rubio said.

He said the administration intended to use the 60-day period to examine the consequences of imposing the sanctions and tariffs.

"I think the president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the US economy," Rubio said.

Democrats also criticized the waiver. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the decision reflected a lack of willingness to use existing powers against Russia.

"He has had the power to sanction Russia for years. What he lacks is the will," Meeks said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York separately accused Trump of weakening Ukraine's position by easing economic pressure on Moscow.

"By giving the Russian economy life support, Trump's deal with the devil keeps getting dirtier," Schumer said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed concern about the suspension. He said Russian attacks had recently struck energy infrastructure, a medical clinic, a school, a metro station and residential buildings in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy recalled Graham's support for Ukraine and criticized the reversal of legislation the late senator had championed.

"It's unfortunate because we all had great respect for Lindsey," Zelenskyy said.

He described Graham as a strong supporter of US assistance to Ukraine and thanked lawmakers from both parties who had backed the legislation.

"And now, the decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me. And it definitely helps only the Russians," Zelenskyy said.

Russian sovereign wealth fund chief Kirill Dmitriev welcomed Trump's decision, describing it on X as "an important and truly historic moment."

The suspension also renewed scrutiny of Trump's broader tariff policy. CNN reported that US tariffs had reached their highest level since the 1930s in 2025 before easing through subsequent pauses, legal developments and other policy changes. Despite those reductions, tariffs remained higher than at any point between the 1940s and 2024, according to analysis cited by the network.