Trump pauses Russia sanctions as Zelenskyy presses

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order waiving the application of sanctions, restrictions and duties contained in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The decision pauses implementation of the newly passed sanctions package and was formally communicated to Congress as being in the national interest.

The executive order suspends measures that would have allowed tariffs of up to 500% on goods from Russia and up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or gas. The waivers will remain in force until the president or the secretary of state determines that further action is warranted under the law.

The paused provisions target wide segments of the Russian economy, including exports that could have faced steep new duties. They also extend to foreign entities purchasing significant volumes of Russian oil and gas, which could have been subject to substantial additional tariffs.

By invoking the law’s waiver authority, the administration has effectively delayed these tariffs before they took effect. The order does not repeal the Graham Act itself but prevents its most far-reaching trade and energy restrictions from being applied for the time being.

The sanctions pause follows an announcement by Trump of an arrangement to increase Russian diesel supplies to global markets. He said Russia would immediately provide more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel, with a further 500,000 tons to follow in November and 1,000,000 tons "immediately thereafter."

Trump has also indicated that additional deliveries beyond these volumes are under discussion. The timing links the waiver decision with the effort to expand fuel supplies, though the executive order itself frames the sanctions pause in terms of national interest without further public detail.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by calling the U.S. decision to pause the sanctions package unfortunate and urging supporters to speak out in favor of the Graham Act. On October 17, 2026, he said the law "could have – and still can" help exert significant pressure on Russia if it is allowed to operate.

Zelenskyy argued that the sanctions need to be implemented, not only enacted, and appealed for every supportive voice to push for the law to take effect. He linked strong sanctions pressure to efforts to bring the war to an end.

Zelenskyy also outlined ongoing diplomatic engagement with the United States around these issues. He said Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, spoke on October 16 with U.S. presidential envoy Jared Kushner about the situation.

According to Zelenskyy, Kyiv and Washington are arranging a follow-up meeting, and he is ready to take part in the discussions. These contacts underscore that Ukraine is seeking further dialogue with the U.S. administration even as it publicly presses for the Graham Act sanctions to be revived.