Trump waives core Russia sanctions before they take effect, drawing condemnation from Zelensky and Congress

President Donald Trump issued an executive order late Friday waiving key parts of new Russia sanctions two days before they were due to take effect. Trump stated the waiver was in the US national interest.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the suspension would consist of a 60-day pause intended to analyse the impact on the global economy. The sanctions legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law by Trump in September. The bill was titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The House passed the bill on Sept. 16, and Trump signed it two days later. The primary backer was the late Lindsey Graham, a veteran Republican senator from South Carolina. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, also drafted the act.

The law gave Trump powers to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas, most significantly China and India. The act also required the president to increase duties on all Russian goods imported into the US by up to 500% no later than 30 days after enactment. The legislation targeted Russian leaders, officials, and financial institutions, and included sanctions against Putin and Moscow’s shadow fleet of vessels used to circumvent existing embargoes. The order preserves existing sanctions on Russia under earlier executive orders.

Zelensky warns of more sanctions relief to come

Zelensky condemned the waiver and said it helps only Russia. “And it definitely helps only the Russians. It only fuels their satisfaction and their desire to keep killing people,” he said. He said he expects Trump to lift or waive more sanctions against Russia. Zelensky warned in Brussels on Friday that the US-Russia diesel agreement could set a precedent for further sanctions relief. He highlighted Ukraine’s continued reliance on US military technology and intelligence despite efforts to develop alternatives.

Trump said Zelensky was more difficult to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump denied halting intelligence-sharing and deliberately slowing down the Starlink network. Ukraine has accused the Trump administration of withdrawing key military support.

Bipartisan backlash in Congress

US lawmakers from both parties criticized the waiver. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a Trump ally, said on Fox News: “I wish the president hadn’t done it.” Senator John Cornyn, also of Texas, wrote on X: “Helping Putin in Ukraine is reckless. He would not stop with Ukraine and our NATO allies would be next.” Trump’s Republican Party holds a narrow majority in both chambers of Congress. High fuel prices are a sensitive issue for voters ahead of midterm elections on Nov. 3. US energy prices have skyrocketed during the Iran war. The Trump administration temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel exports through April 2027 to ease a supply crunch caused by the war in Iran.

Moscow hails a historic moment

Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the move, calling it an important and truly historic moment. Dmitriev said the US-Russia economic dialogue and peacemaking efforts will continue.

Energy ceasefire dispute and battlefield escalation

Trump claimed both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an energy ceasefire to facilitate export of Russian diesel. Zelensky expressed surprise at the energy ceasefire announcement and said Kyiv would stop strikes if Russia did the same. After three days of fresh Russian attacks, Kyiv resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump condemned Ukraine’s strikes as a disgrace. Russian overnight attacks hit 15 Ukrainian energy facilities, causing power cuts in several regions. At least nine people have been killed and around 60 injured in Russian strikes across Ukraine since Friday, including an ambulance driver killed and 20 injured in Kherson.

Reports emerged this week that Ukraine has restricted SpaceX’s Starlink military application, Starshield. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the US government and president were ultimately responsible for any curbs on the network. Last week Starlink suddenly restricted the speed at which Ukrainian drones could fly while maintaining internet connection, disrupting battlefield missions. Zelensky said Ukraine tested Starlink on EU territory and found the problems do not exist and the system was operating at higher speeds.

Negotiators eye next meeting

Negotiators from Ukraine and the US spoke on Friday, and both teams could meet next week.