October 17, 2026 · Foreign Policy, War & National Security
· Official action
Confirmed
Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Law He Signed Himself, Drawing Bipartisan Backlash
On Friday, Oct. 17, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order waiving sanctions and tariffs under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, two days before they were set to take effect. He had signed the bipartisan law, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, into law the previous month. The waived provisions included sanctions on Russian officials and banks, measures against a "shadow fleet" of tankers carrying Russian energy exports, and tariffs of up to 100% on the largest importers of Russian oil and gas. Trump certified to Congress that the waiver served the "national interest."
The move follows Trump's early-October waiver of existing sanctions for a Russian diesel purchase, and continues a pattern of easing pressure on Moscow even though the law's bipartisan sponsors intended it to constrain Russia's war financing. Zelenskyy said the law "could have helped enormously - and still can." Senators from both parties, including Thom Tillis and Chuck Schumer, said the waiver undercuts a bipartisan law and benefits Russia's economy.
The waiver has no fixed end date and stays in effect until the administration decides "further action is appropriate." No legal challenge had been reported as of this writing.
The move follows Trump's early-October waiver of existing sanctions for a Russian diesel purchase, and continues a pattern of easing pressure on Moscow even though the law's bipartisan sponsors intended it to constrain Russia's war financing. Zelenskyy said the law "could have helped enormously - and still can." Senators from both parties, including Thom Tillis and Chuck Schumer, said the waiver undercuts a bipartisan law and benefits Russia's economy.
The waiver has no fixed end date and stays in effect until the administration decides "further action is appropriate." No legal challenge had been reported as of this writing.