In brief
Donald Trump leveraged his presidential powers to block several sanctions from a bill that had just become law, a move which sets up a standoff with Congress. The new law, dubbed the Lindsey Graham Law, targeted Russia’s economy and its oil trade, with Trump’s order partially removing that pressure. Talk of importing Russian diesel for cheaper fuel has shocked lawmakers, while President Volodymyr Zelensky calls the deal an investment in war.
Trump Pulls Plug on Russia Sanctions
President Donald Trump used his executive power to cancel many of the new sanctions the U.S. Congress just passed on Russia, aiming to curb Moscow’s war on Ukraine. The measures, part of the Lindsey Graham Law, capped tariffs on the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas—especially China and India—and created punitive blocks on Russian officials and firms.
In a dramatic Friday night executive order, Trump said it was in the nation’s “national interests” to leave the bill on hold, even as it was slated to take effect that Sunday. The move has opened a hot debate in Washington, with a bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers writing the president to demand a full and faithful implementation of the law.
Adding fuel—literally—to the controversy, Trump recently revealed plans to import Russian diesel to lower U.S. energy prices ahead of the midterm elections. The “fuel aid” promises wealthy gas drivers a cheaper fill‑up but risks handing a war‑financing boost to Putin’s war machine.
Unsurprisingly, U.S. allies and many lawmakers are blasting the decision. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the deal as a gift to Putin, saying it “amounts to an investment in a war that must be ended.”
With the October 18 deadline on the horizon, the debate could reshape U.S. foreign policy, the energy market, and the political climate heading into the next election. Will Trump stay the course, or will Congress step in?
