Trump puts new Russia sanctions that he recently signed into law on hold, citing national interest

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday waiving a sweeping sanctions package targeting the Russian economy, which was scheduled to take effect on Sunday. According to BBC News, Trump signed the sanctions bill into law in September. In the order, Trump stated he submitted a certification to Congress that the waiver is in the national interests of the United States.

The sanctions, part of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, were intended to punish Russia for its war on Ukraine by targeting the Russian government, banks, and a shadow fleet of tankers. The law also granted the president authority to levy tariffs of up to 100% on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas, such as China and India.

The decision follows Trump's recent proposal to import Russian diesel to lower US energy prices, a plan that has faced bipartisan criticism. The Kyiv Independent reports that Democratic Representative Don Beyer condemned the move, accusing Trump of surrendering to Vladimir Putin and abusing the powers conferred by the law. President Volodymyr Zelensky also warned that the diesel deal could pave the way for further sanctions.

DW English (Top Stories) notes that India was among the countries that raised concerns regarding the original sanctions bill.

Brief written by urgent.news from Japan Today, BBC News, Kyiv Independent, DW English (Top Stories), DW News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.