Trump Says: "I Am Hereby Waiving The Application Of Sanctions Provided For In The Graham Act"

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from the newly passed Graham Act sanctions just two days before the law was set to take effect, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the United States simultaneously imports Russian diesel fuel to ease global energy prices driven up by the ongoing war with Iran.

I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Graham Act,

Trump said in the order. 

"I have submitted to Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States." The order does not explain why waiving the sanctions serves the national interest or what rationale Trump is providing to Congress.

The Graham Act

The sanctions law was the brainchild of Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican and Russia hawk who died in July 2026 after spending more than a year building bipartisan support for the measure. The law was intended to squeeze the financial lifelines sustaining Russia's war against Ukraine and gave Trump the power to target countries importing Russian oil and gas with up to 100 percent tariffs, subject all Russian imports to the United States to up to 500 percent tariffs, and take greater aim at Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers and banking system. It also provided Trump with additional tariff authority he could use to punish countries that continue to trade with Russia.

The law was set to take effect on October 18. The White House has broad authority to issue sanctions exemptions or waivers, and the law requires Trump to notify Congress only if he opts against imposing the restrictions. Two days before the deadline, Trump exercised that power.

The Context: Russian Diesel and Iran's War

The decision comes as Trump has in recent weeks embraced Russia and expressed frustration that Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries were helping push up gasoline and diesel prices globally. The biggest factor limiting supplies remains the war in Iran and the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. "The main issue is still the Strait of Hormuz, that there is not enough diesel coming out of the Strait of Hormuz," said Sarah Raffoul, an oil product analyst at Argus Media.

Trump announced last week that he had reached a deal with Putin and that the United States would begin importing Russian diesel fuel. The Treasury Department temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports to let Russian diesel back into the global market and gave Russian energy producers a general license to sell diesel fuel until April. The price increases have triggered inflation weeks ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, which could cost Republicans control of Congress.

Ukraine said it was willing to halt its refinery strikes if Russia halted its own attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Putin refused.

Congressional And Ukrainian Backlash

The move drew immediate condemnation from Democrats and Ukrainian officials. Representative Don Beyer of Virginia called it another surrender to Putin that betrays American partners in Ukraine and defies the clear congressional intent of legislation designed to punish Russia for its illegal war of aggression. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the banking committee, called the move an abject failure of leadership. "By waiving these sanctions, Trump is thumbing his nose at Congress's direction that he ratchet up pressure on the Kremlin, and enabling Vladimir Putin to continue his war of aggression," Warren said.

In Ukraine, Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament's foreign affairs committee, said Trump is feeding the Russian war machine, calling the move absolutely outrageous. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to President Zelensky who spent months lobbying for the passage of the Graham Act, commented bitterly on social media: "On the wrong side of history."

The Starlink Dimension

The Russia sanctions waiver came days after Ukraine said that a Pentagon-funded satellite internet programme used by the Ukrainian military had been throttled without warning, disrupting military operations and fueling concerns that Washington was tightening the screws on Kyiv even as it eased them on Moscow. Ukrainian officials have strongly suggested restrictions were deliberately imposed on the military version of Starlink operated by SpaceX. Trump denied on Friday having ordered restrictions and said he did not think Elon Musk had either. A bipartisan group of US senators has demanded an investigation into the disruptions.

In the executive order, Trump said the United States would monitor purchases of Russian oil by other countries and that his advisers would recommend whether to take further action on tariffs. Analysts cautioned that the underlying sanctions architecture remains in place and that banks and financial institutions are unlikely to rush back to Russian exposure while the risk of future sanctions action remains. "No one wants to be caught holding the risk when the waiver is pulled," said Daniel Tannebaum, a partner at Oliver Wyman.