Trump pauses newly passed Russia sanctions amid dispute with Ukraine

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he is waiving many of the sanctions, restrictions and duties on Russia included in a bipartisan bill passed by Congress earlier this month. The executive order delays the measures, which were set to take effect within two days, and gives the administration until Oct. 18 to decide whether to impose the sanctions or issue a waiver.

The legislation, championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, targets Russian officials, banks and a fleet of tankers that support the country's energy exports, and authorizes up to 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with exemptions for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s gas and have reduced those imports.

The pause comes after Trump publicly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and announced a deal for the United States to purchase Russian diesel in an effort to lower global energy prices. Trump said Russia would supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel immediately, followed by additional shipments in the coming months.

A bipartisan group of senators, including six Republicans, sent a letter urging the president to enforce the sanctions authorized by the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026."

Zelenskyy warned that the diesel agreement could allow cash to flow back to Russia.

Senator Darline Graham, who is running to succeed her late brother in the Senate and has Trump's endorsement, said the bill gives the president tools to end the war through economic pressure, but its use remains at the president’s discretion.

"It gives the president tools that he can use, if he so chooses, to end the war through economic sanctions," Graham said during a debate in Columbia.