Trump waives Russia-related sanctions before they even kick in as Ukraine ties worsen

Trump waives Russia-related sanctions before they even kick in as Ukraine ties worsen

US President Donald Trump has waived a further slate of sanctions related to Russian fossil fuel sales, days before they were to take effect under a bill he signed into law last month.

The waiver announced in an executive order Friday comes as Trump increasingly feuds with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and cracks appear in Washington’s support for Kyiv in its four-year-old war against its giant neighbor, deepening alarm among European allies.

The White House has heaped pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil facilities, as it seeks to ease oil prices ahead of midterm elections at home. Ukraine briefly acceded to the request, but has since resumed attacks – and Russia has continued to pound Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the week.

The forestalled legislation would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% on – among other things – goods brought into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, the sale of which is crucial to funding the Kremlin’s war machine.

“I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States,” Trump said in the order released by the White House on Friday.

The measures were included in the Graham Act, legislation named after former Senator Lindsey Graham, a noted Russia hawk who died in July.