President Donald Trump used an executive order Friday night to block numerous Russia sanctions that Congress passed to punish the country for its war on Ukraine. Trump claimed withholding the sanctions served US "national interests," though he provided no specific justification.
The sanctions law, named for late Senator Lindsey Graham, took effect Sunday as scheduled. It grants Trump broad authority to levy tariffs up to 100% on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas, primarily China and India. The law also targets Putin, senior Russian officials, banks, and Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers used to evade existing sanctions.
Trump's move came days after he announced plans to import Russian diesel to lower US energy prices ahead of November midterm elections. On October 9, Trump said he had spoken with Putin and agreed to purchase diesel from Moscow. The announcement drew bipartisan criticism in Congress and concern from US allies that the deal could aid Russia's war effort.
On Thursday, 20 US lawmakers from both parties issued a letter urging Trump to fully implement the sanctions law. Democratic Virginia Congressman Don Beyer accused Trump of "capitulating to Moscow" and betraying Ukraine. Beyer wrote on X that Trump's move "defies clear congressional intent" and "betrays our Ukrainian partners."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Trump's diesel deal a "gift to Putin" and an "investment in a war that must be ended." Tensions escalated after Trump claimed Sunday that Russia and Ukraine agreed to an "energy ceasefire," providing no details. Zelensky said Kyiv would halt strikes if Russia did the same, but Moscow denied any agreement and continued attacks. After three days, Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Trump then called Ukraine's strikes a "disgrace." The administration previously warned it could withhold intelligence sharing, crucial for Ukraine's defenses, if Kyiv does not stop targeting Russia's refineries. Tensions heightened further this week when restrictions on Starlink, the US-owned internet network critical to Ukraine's military, caused a slowdown Tuesday night. Russia launched several deadly strikes during the outage, with no prior warning. Zelensky called the slowdown "very dangerous and unpleasant," and speeds remained unrestored Friday.