President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Oct. 16 suspending nearly all substantive sanctions, restrictions and tariffs contained in a Russia-focused law he had signed the previous month. The action came two days before the package was scheduled to take effect and applied to measures intended to pressure Moscow over its war against Ukraine. Trump certified to Congress that the waivers were in the national interest of the United States.
The law, named the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, authorized the president to waive sanctions provisions, restrictions and duties after submitting a written certification and an explanation. Its measures targeted Russian officials, financial institutions and networks accused of helping move Russian energy or evade sanctions. The law also called for a 100% increase in duties on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas if they made new purchases after Oct. 18, subject to exceptions and presidential waivers.
Efforts to negotiate a durable and comprehensive peace between Ukraine and Russia. The order left open the possibility of reinstating the measures if they became necessary to encourage an end to the war or if circumstances changed so that the waiver was no longer in the national interest. The administration also directed officials to monitor Russian energy purchases, sanctions evasion and countries that facilitate such activity, then provide recommendations for further action.
The decision drew criticism from lawmakers who said it weakened economic pressure on Moscow and disregarded congressional support for the legislation. Don Beyer said Congress should revise the law to prevent what he described as a capitulation to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The White House did not initially provide a separate public explanation for how the suspension served the national interest beyond the certification submitted to Congress.
The move came as Trump was increasingly criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for failing to reach an agreement with Putin to end the fighting. Because the waivers took effect immediately, the sanctions and duties did not begin on the timetable established by the law. The administration retained authority to impose them later if it determines that they would help advance negotiations or that the national-interest basis for withholding them has changed.