Trump waives new Russia energy sanctions

On Oct. 16, 2026, President Donald Trump issued an executive order invoking the waiver authority contained in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. In issuing the order, the administration certified to Congress that using the waiver at this time was in the national interest. This step was taken after the law had been enacted with a mandate to expand sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia.

By using the waiver provision, the executive order suspended the application of sanctions, restrictions and duties that the Graham Act had put in place. This included delaying implementation of new Russia-related tariff and sanction measures that were designed to increase economic pressure on Moscow. The underlying authorities in the law remain on the books but are not being fully applied while the waiver is in effect.

The decision to waive many of the new measures followed an energy arrangement announced by Trump involving Russian fuel supplies. Under this arrangement, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to U.S. and global markets, equal to about 2.25 million barrels. The move connected U.S. sanctions policy with efforts to secure additional fuel supplies.

The law that Trump partially waived had also provided additional tariff authority that could be used against countries continuing to trade with Russia. By suspending the application of those tools in the Russia energy context, the administration prioritized access to Russian diesel over the immediate use of newly granted economic pressure mechanisms. The authorities could still be activated later if the waiver is withdrawn.

The waiver and the diesel arrangement drew a swift response on Capitol Hill. Bipartisan groups of House members and senators publicly urged the administration to enforce the Graham Act’s provisions rather than rely on broad waivers for Russian energy transactions. Some lawmakers also called for reconsideration or revocation of the authorization enabling the diesel imports.

This reaction underscored a divide between Congress’s intent in passing the Graham Act and the administration’s near-term implementation choices. While the law expanded sanction and tariff tools aimed at Russia, the executive order has delayed many of those measures. As a result, the immediate impact is to ease pressure on Russian energy exports while preserving the possibility of reimposing sanctions and tariffs in the future.