What exactly did Trump waive?

He waived most sanctions, tariffs and restrictions created by the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, including the 500% tariff on Russian imports and up to 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, per the White House order.

When did this happen?

Trump signed the waiver executive order on October 16, 2026, about one month after signing the underlying sanctions law on September 18, 2026.

Why did Trump say he waived the sanctions?

The administration certified to Congress that the waiver was in the "national interests of the United States," but the order itself did not detail the specific reasoning; reporting links the move to efforts to lower fuel prices via a Russian diesel deal.

How did Ukraine and Congress react?

President Zelensky warned the related diesel deal could lead to further sanctions relief for Russia. In Washington, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Don Beyer, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Don Bacon, criticized the waiver, with some saying it could prolong the war.

Can Congress reverse the waiver?

Under the law, Congress can pass a disapproval resolution within 30 days of a waiver (60 days in certain recess periods) to block it, though no such resolution has been reported as of this writing.

Politics · News

Trump Waives New Russia Sanctions Days Before They Took Effect

Published: October 17, 2026 at 09:33 AM UTC

In brief

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on October 16, 2026, waiving most of the sanctions and tariffs on Russia he had enacted into law only a month earlier. The move follows a diesel-supply deal with Moscow and a deepening dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and it drew criticism from lawmakers in both parties.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on October 16, 2026, waiving the bulk of a sweeping new Russia sanctions package just weeks after signing it into law, according to the White House and multiple US news organizations.

The order suspends sections 102(a), 102(d), 102(e), 103 through 111, and 117 of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, along with duties set out in sections 112 and 113, the White House's published text of the order shows. The administration said it had submitted to Congress a certification that the waiver "is in the national interests of the United States," but the order itself does not spell out what those interests are.

What the Graham Act does

Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law on September 18, 2026, according to the Wikipedia entry on the legislation; NBC News and ABC News likewise reported the law had been signed the previous month. The Senate passed the bill 86–11 on August 7, 2026, and the House passed it 262–159 on September 16, 2026, with 58 House Democrats joining most Republicans, according to the Wikipedia entry on the act.

The law authorizes tariffs of up to 500% on US imports from Russia and up to 100% on goods from the top buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, according to the same sources. NBC News reported that the measure was designed to target Russia's largest energy customers, which may include China and India. The law also gives the president broad discretion to waive these penalties upon certifying to Congress that doing so serves the national interest.

The diesel deal and Ukraine tensions

The waiver came days after Trump said on October 9, 2026, that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to release diesel fuel onto global markets, NBC News and Kyiv Independent reported. NBC News described the volume as "hundreds of thousands of tons," while Kyiv Independent cited Trump saying Russia had agreed to supply "millions of tons"; neither report gave a precise breakdown of shipment sizes or dates. Trump said the deal would help lower global fuel prices, according to NBC News.

Kyiv Independent reported that Trump blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for worsening a global diesel shortage, while noting that a separate US conflict involving Iran was also a major contributing factor to the shortage.

The waiver also coincided with a public dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Kyiv Independent reported that on October 10, 2026, Trump criticized Zelensky and suggested Ukraine should have different leadership. Zelensky, according to the same report, warned that the diesel agreement risked opening the door to further sanctions relief for Moscow, including possible gas deals.

Reaction in Washington

The waiver drew criticism from members of both parties. Kyiv Independent reported that Democratic Representative Don Beyer said Trump had "waived all of the sanctions on Russia provided for in the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia Act" and accused him of "surrendering" to Putin. Senator Richard Blumenthal called the move "craven" and said it had "nothing to do with our national security."

NBC News reported that Republican Representative Don Bacon said the decision was "prolonging the war, not ending it." ABC News separately quoted Senator Darline Graham — who was appointed to the Senate seat of her late brother, the law's namesake — acknowledging the waiver was within the president's authority while defending the law's intent to give the president "tools that he can use ... to end the war through economic sanctions."

ABC News noted that the waiver came amid low approval ratings for Trump and ahead of elections scheduled for November 3, 2026, in which Republicans faced pressure to retain control of Congress.

What is not yet known

The White House has not published the full text of the national-interest certification sent to Congress, so the specific reasoning behind the waiver beyond general references to fuel costs remains undisclosed. It is also not yet clear whether Congress will attempt to pass a disapproval resolution, which the law allows within 30 days of a waiver (60 days in certain periods when Congress is typically out of session), according to the Wikipedia summary of the act's provisions.

Questions

What exactly did Trump waive?: He waived most sanctions, tariffs and restrictions created by the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, including the 500% tariff on Russian imports and up to 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, per the White House order.
When did this happen?: Trump signed the waiver executive order on October 16, 2026, about one month after signing the underlying sanctions law on September 18, 2026.
Why did Trump say he waived the sanctions?: The administration certified to Congress that the waiver was in the "national interests of the United States," but the order itself did not detail the specific reasoning; reporting links the move to efforts to lower fuel prices via a Russian diesel deal.
How did Ukraine and Congress react?: President Zelensky warned the related diesel deal could lead to further sanctions relief for Russia. In Washington, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Don Beyer, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Don Bacon, criticized the waiver, with some saying it could prolong the war.
Can Congress reverse the waiver?: Under the law, Congress can pass a disapproval resolution within 30 days of a waiver (60 days in certain recess periods) to block it, though no such resolution has been reported as of this writing.

Sources

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