US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday waiving a sweeping package of sanctions, restrictions and duties targeting Russia and its biggest oil customers, just days before the measures were due to take effect.
- Trump waived sanctions and duties under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, a law he signed in mid-September.
- The law would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.
- Trump certified to Congress that the waiver is “in the national interests of the United States.”
- The move spares major Russian-oil buyers such as India and follows an announced Trump-Putin agreement on diesel supplies.
What the waiver pauses
The waived law — the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 — was one of the toughest economic pressure tools Washington had aimed at Moscow. It would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on all goods imported into the United States from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, as well as on any country that knowingly bought Russian oil or gas after the law took effect or ranked among the top helpers of Russian sanctions evasion.
Beyond tariffs, the act targeted Russia’s energy and defence sectors, senior officials and the so-called shadow fleet of tankers accused of moving Russian crude past Western restrictions.
Why Trump did it
In the executive order released by the White House on Friday, Trump told Congress the waiver serves “the national interests of the United States.” The move fits a clear recent pattern: Trump has been warming toward Moscow while publicly criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — including suggesting that Ukraine needs a new leader, Reuters reported.
Relief for India and oil buyers
India, one of the world’s largest buyers of Russian oil, had raised concerns about the bill. With the waiver, Indian exporters avoid the threat of 100% US tariffs tied to Russian energy purchases. The Indian Express reported that the waiver followed an announced agreement between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin under which Moscow will supply diesel to help stabilize global energy markets.
What happens next
The waiver is a pause, not a repeal. The Graham Act remains law, and the administration could let its tariffs snap back into force if diplomacy stalls. For now, the decision buys breathing room for oil markets, for Moscow, and for buyers like India — while raising fresh questions about the direction of US policy on the Ukraine war, where Zelenskyy has resumed strikes on Russian refineries after an energy truce collapsed.
(Sources: Reuters; News18; The Indian Express; CGTN)
