President Donald Trump waived sweeping new sanctions against Russia passed by Congress, arguing in an executive order Friday that the move “is in the national interests of the United States.” Trump had signed the legislation, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., just last month. The bill took aim at Russia’s largest buyers of oil and gas, allowing the president to impose tariffs on goods from those countries, which may include China and India.
Passed with bipartisan support, the bill was intended to target Russia’s revenue streams as the country continues to wage its war against Ukraine. Suspending the sanctions provides Russia a financial lifeline. Trump’s decision to put a hold on the sanctions package comes after he announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to release hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel fuel onto the global market as fuel prices soar.
Trump has expressed frustration with Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil and gas infrastructure and has blamed them for the increase in fuel costs while downplaying the impact of the Iran war on the oil market. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that lifting sanctions was “wrong” and “only helps the Russians.” In a Telegram post, he decried what he called an “American sanctions blackout,” adding that a “weakening of pressure on the aggressor, effectively serving as a financial reward for Putin—only encourages him to continue his attacks.” “It seems to me that this won’t stop Putin,” he later told journalists in WhatsApp messages. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called the move a “craven, cowardly action” in a statement.
Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is retiring at the end of his term, wrote on X. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a staunch Ukraine ally who is also not seeking re-election next month, said “the president is prolonging the war, not ending it,” in a post on X. John Cornyn, R-TX, who lost a primary to a Trump-backed challenger earlier this year, wrote.
Zelenskyy thanked both Democrats and Republicans who supported the legislation, and praised the late Graham for his prolonged vocal support for Ukraine. It’s difficult without him, I’ll say frankly,” Zelenskyy said. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who co-sponsored the bill named for her late brother, has touted its success as a key part of her campaign to win a full term in his Senate seat.
Graham is a fierce Trump ally, as his endorsement was critical in her GOP primary win. Graham has yet to criticize the president for his Russian oil deal or the decision to halt the sanctions. Congress passed the legislation with strong majorities in both the House and Senate, though many Democrats opposed the bill because it granted the president new tariff powers.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
