Trump Suspends Bipartisan Russia Sanctions Package Ahead of Implementation Deadline
The executive pause freezes steep energy tariffs on Moscow while triggering bipartisan pushback in Congress and warnings from Ukrainian leaders.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order halting a major bipartisan Russia sanctions package two days before its legal implementation deadline. The order paused measures passed by Congress that would raise tariffs on Russian goods and target third-party energy buyers.
Trump defended the move on Truth Social, stating that the waiver was necessary to keep Moscow involved in peace negotiations. He said pushing Russia away would harm diplomatic efforts. He also asserted that Moscow was offering minimal help to Iran compared to what it could do.
The order suspended tariff increases of up to 500 percent on Russian imports. It also blocked tariffs of up to 100 percent on secondary purchasers of Russian energy, including China and India. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that officials invoked an allowable 60-day pause under the law to study economic consequences. He added that only the diesel embargo had actually been removed.
Trump also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of prolonging the conflict. He asserted that Zelenskyy deliberately struck Russian refineries to disrupt diesel supplies and hurt Republicans ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Zelenskyy criticized the decision during an interview on NBC, warning that Ukraine cannot prevail if Washington aligns with Moscow. He said the waivers were a mistake that would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy also called on European partners to organize an independent diplomatic track with Moscow.
The move drew pushback from lawmakers in both parties. Republican Representative Don Bacon said the decision prolonged the war and called policies benefiting the Kremlin an embarrassing chapter in American history. Republican Senator Thom Tillis called the waiver irresponsible capitulation, while Senator Rick Scott urged maximum economic pressure on Russia.
Congress previously passed the Lindsey Graham Act by wide bipartisan margins, named for the late South Carolina senator. Trump signed the legislation into law before halting it through executive action. A week earlier, Trump agreed to allow Russian diesel into global markets to ease price spikes.
Under the diesel agreement, Moscow agreed to supply 300,000 tons immediately, 500,000 tons in November, and 1 million tons shortly thereafter. Tensions had escalated following the breakdown of an energy truce, prompting Russian strikes on power grids and Ukrainian strikes on refineries.
Zelenskyy said disrupted United States intelligence sharing had been restored. At the same time, Ukraine faced depleted stockpiles of interceptor missiles for its Patriot air defense systems.
The administration must decide whether to renew the freeze or enact the sanctions when the 60-day pause expires. Meanwhile, presidential envoy Jared Kushner and Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov are scheduled to continue talks to prepare potential diplomatic meetings.
