Congress condemns President Trump's waiver of Russian sanctions amid diesel deal with Putin
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Senators from both parties denounced President Trump's indefinite suspension of newly enacted sanctions on Russia, calling the move a breach of law and a threat to Ukraine, while lawmakers prepare legislation to block the diesel agreement.
President Trump announced an indefinite waiver of the Russian sanctions package that had been approved by the Senate, citing national-security reasons. The decision, made shortly after a diesel supply deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, prompted sharp criticism from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called the move "beyond irresponsible" and questioned the administration's understanding of a law passed 86-11 by the Senate. He added that lowering energy prices required addressing the conflict in Iran, not offering concessions to Moscow.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said the late Sen. Lindsey Graham would have been appalled by the waiver, referencing the Lindsey Graham Russian Sanctions Act that Graham had championed before his death.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the waiver "gives the Russian economy life support" and described the deal as "dirty." Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) accused the president of "thumbing his nose" at Congress and enabling Putin's war of aggression, urging colleagues to act to reverse the decision.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has maintained a working relationship with the United States despite past tensions, appealed to supporters to speak out for the sanctions.
With the House and Senate on recess until after Election Day, immediate congressional action appears unlikely, though Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced legislation to block the diesel deal, calling it "corrupt" and contrary to U.S. values.
In South Carolina, Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill her brother Lindsey Graham's Senate seat, said she shares the president's goal of ending the war and lowering fuel prices, but she would prefer to keep pressure on Russia, expressing distrust of Putin.
The waiver follows a bipartisan Senate effort earlier in the week urging the administration to clamp down on Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, a key component of the sanctions law that was set to take effect on Sunday.