Trump waives Congress-passed Russia sanctions, Zelenskyy condemns move

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that temporarily suspends the sanctions package approved by Congress earlier this month. The legislation, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was designed to target the revenue streams of Russia’s largest oil and gas purchasers, including potential tariffs on goods from China and India. Trump said the waiver is "in the national interests of the United States."

The decision follows a deal announced last week between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to release large volumes of Russian diesel fuel onto the global market amid rising fuel prices. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the waiver as "wrong" and a "financial reward for Putin" in a Telegram post, adding that it "effectively serves as a financial reward for Putin—only encourages him to continue his attacks."

"It seems to me that this won’t stop Putin. On the contrary, he feels joy and happiness that there is such support," Zelenskyy told journalists in a WhatsApp message.

Members of Congress from both parties criticized the move. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called it a "craven, cowardly action" and said it "has nothing to do with our national security, and everything to do with sucking up to Vladimir Putin." Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote on X that the waiver undermines a law passed 86-11 by the Senate and suggested solving the Iran issue instead of aiding Putin. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said the president is "prolonging the war, not ending it," while Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, noted that Lindsey Graham would be "appalled."

Zelenskyy thanked the lawmakers who supported the original sanctions and praised the late Graham for his strong advocacy of Ukrainian assistance. The waiver comes as diesel prices have risen sharply since the war in Iran began in February and less than three weeks before the midterm elections, where cost of living is a prominent voter concern.

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who co-sponsored the Graham-named bill, highlighted the legislation’s role in her campaign for a full Senate term but has not publicly criticized the president’s recent waiver. The law requires the administration to submit an unclassified report to Congress before waiving the sanctions; Trump said the White House has already sent that report to Capitol Hill.