Updated 17 Oct, 2026 05:30
The "Al Agaila" tanker unloads oil at the HELLENiQ Energy terminal close Athens (Greece) on 11 September 2026, after leaving the Russian port in Noworosyjsk. © Nicolas Koutsokostas / NurPhoto via Getty Images
US president Donald Trump suspended extended fresh sanctions against Russia, which he had signed just a period earlier. At the same time, he utilized a clause to waive penalties – which hit the Russian economy and countries purchasing Russian energy resources – in the name of the national interest of the United States.
In the implementing order issued on Friday, Trump waived the sanctions and duties provided for in the Act "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act" (Lindsey O. Graham Act on imposing sanctions on Russia and Iran).
This includes, among others, the proposed duties of 500 % for goods imported from Russia and 100% for products purchased by major customers of Russian oil and gas.
"I have submitted to legislature a message that granting specified an exemption is in the national interest of the United States, together with a study explaining the grounds for this decision" – Trump wrote.
China and India, the 2 biggest buyers of Russian oil, were expected to be most affected by these rules.
The bill, whose advocate was Senator Lindsey Graham, who was already dead, was defined by his supporters as a solution ‘cruising’, aimed at removing Russian energy natural materials from the global market.
The hawk-like American legislators argued that the current restrictions allowed Moscow to avoid economical pressure.
At the beginning of this month, Trump abolished sanctions on Russian diesel exports, seeking to curb the increase in energy prices before the complementary elections in the US.
This decision provoked outrage in Ukraine and among European allies of America, and a cross-party group of American Senators accused Trump of betraying Kiev.
According to reports from the U.S. media, Trump decided to mitigate sanctions after Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenski refused to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure – which Trump believed was causing advanced energy prices.
On Friday, a associate of the U.S. home of Representatives, Gregory Meeks, presented in legislature a bill designed to block the agreement with Russia on diesel.
This Democratic organization politician threw Trump out. “pleasing to [Russian president Vladimir] Putin and the conclusion of contracts to service its own enrichment, alternatively of supporting Ukraine’.
Trump defended this agreement, claiming it was beneficial for American consumers and consistent with its programme "American First".
In consequence to a wave of criticism he attacked Zelenski, calling him “a man worth not dealing with”, and suggested that Ukraine needs "New President".
Russia maintains that it has adapted to the increasing economical force from the West, while defining Graham's bill as an enemy step that could undermine Trump's efforts to negociate peace between Moscow and Kiev.
"Russian diesel has begun to hit global markets, which will positively stabilise oil markets" – said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Pieskov on Thursday.
Kirił Dmitriev, Putin's investment proxy and negotiator in Ukraine cases, identified the abolition of restrictions as “an crucial and historical moment”.
He wrote in X that economical cooperation serves the interests of both countries, "contributes to global economical stableness and underpins confidence-building and sustainable peace".
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://rt-english.com/news/647324-trump-waives-graham-sanctions-russia/
