US President Donald Trump has temporarily waived sweeping new sanctions and tariffs on Russia and its energy trading partners, including India, under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. His administration calls it a 60-day pause to study the global economic fallout; lawmakers from both parties and Ukraine's president say it weakens Western leverage over Moscow.
What Happened: A Waiver Days Before the Law Took Effect
Trump signed the Graham Act into law in mid-September 2026 with overwhelming bipartisan support, after lawmakers urged tougher pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. It authorized tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, up to 500% on certain Russian goods, and sanctions on Russian banks and evasion networks — due to take effect in mid-October.
On Friday, October 16, Trump signed an executive order waiving those new sanctions, restrictions, and duties, certifying to Congress that the waiver was "in the national interest of the United States." The order keeps the waivers in place until the president or the secretary of state, in consultation with the treasury secretary and the trade representative, determine further action is appropriate. Officials stressed it does not lift sanctions imposed under earlier executive orders.
The waiver came alongside an arrangement for Russia to supply about 5 million tonnes of diesel to the US and global markets in the coming months. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that "the only thing that has been lifted is the diesel embargo." Brent crude fell $1.56 to $108.3 a barrel on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate at $101.2.
The Administration's Case: 60 Days to Weigh the Global Impact
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday, before a six-day trip to Uzbekistan and India, that the president wants up to 60 days to analyze what the sanctions and tariffs would mean for the global and US economies. He cited compounding energy pressures — the conflict involving Iran, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and the Russia-Ukraine war — and said the waiver provisions were written into the Act so the administration could study them. On India, he said diversifying energy sources could not happen "from one day to the next."
Bessent, on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, said "no sanctions were lifted on Friday" and revealed the US had asked European allies to impose secondary sanctions on China and India over Russian oil purchases, but they refused: "So why should the US bear the burden?" Trump told reporters the decision was "good for the country" and said he did not want to "foolishly drive Russia away from the bargaining table" on peace talks. The administration also faces high domestic energy prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The Backlash: Lawmakers and Zelensky Warn of Lost Leverage
Critics across the aisle argue the waiver undercuts the economic pressure the law was designed to apply and weakens Washington's leverage over Russia while the war continues — despite the act's bipartisan passage last month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the waiver could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and prolong the war, telling NBC he hoped Trump would "change his decisions." Trump responded on Truth Social that he was "in the process of negotiating peace" and did not want to push Russia away from talks, criticizing Zelensky in turn. He signaled he had not yet made a final decision on easing sanctions permanently.
What to Watch Next
The executive order sets no automatic expiration date — Trump could extend the waiver, let sanctions take effect, or modify the penalties after the review. With midterm voters watching fuel prices, Europe declining secondary sanctions, and Ukraine warning of lost momentum, the 60-day window puts the administration's competing priorities — pressure on Moscow, global energy stability, and domestic prices — on a public clock.
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