Trump waives Graham Act sanctions and tariffs on Russia
The order signed Friday, Oct. 16 halts measures due to take effect Oct. 18; Zelenskyy calls it wrong and Republican senators criticize it.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order on Friday, Oct. 16 that frees Moscow from almost everything the sanctions law named for the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham called for. The measures were due to take effect on Oct. 18, two days later, according to ABC News. The order cites the "national interest" and gives no further details. The White House said the law gives the president "additional authorities" in his search for a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine.
The waiver covers four parts of the law:
- Tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods.
- Tariffs of up to 100% on the five countries that buy the most Russian crude oil and gas.
- Sanctions on foreign banks that do business with Russia's state-owned banks.
- Bans on buying Russian sovereign debt and on investing in Russia.
Sanctions already in force under executive orders do not change. The waivers last until Trump or the secretary of state decides otherwise, and the law's Russia provisions expire in 2031.
On Oct. 9, after a phone call with Vladimir Putin, Trump had said Russia would sell millions of tons of diesel to the United States and the rest of the world, according to The Kyiv Independent. A general Treasury license also allows imports of that Russian fuel through April.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that the move "seems wrong" and only encourages Moscow to keep fighting. According to him, Russia launched "one of its largest attacks" on Ukraine's power grid the same day.
Among Republicans, Sen. Thom Tillis called it "beyond irresponsible," and Sen. John Cornyn said Graham "would be appalled." Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said Trump gave Putin "the best birthday gift" of his year.
On the Russian side, economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev called the suspension a "historic moment" and said economic dialogue with Washington will continue.
