Trump signs executive order waiving new Russia sanctions, tariffs

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that waived the stringent US sanctions and tariffs imposed on Russia's energy revenues, which were enacted just last month through the Lindsey Graham Act. Named in honor of Senator Lindsey Graham who sponsored the bill, the act empowered Trump to impose duties up to 100 percent on substantial purchasers of Russian oil and gas.

In the executive order, Trump stated, "I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act." The legislation aimed to target Russia's energy and defense sectors, as well as President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials, along with Moscow's secretive fleet of tankers that were employed to evade Western sanctions.

This sudden shift in policy by Trump occurred following a contentious agreement he had reached with Putin, which would permit Russia to export diesel in exchange for US sanctions relief. Since the deal was signed, the relationship between Ukraine and Washington has worsened, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky describing it as a "weak decision," and Ukrainian forces resuming assaults on Russian oil refineries.