President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday putting a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy on hold, telling Congress that the pause was in the national interest.
The unexpected decision comes just two days before a statutory deadline for implementing the legislation, which Trump had personally signed only last month. Named after the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, the measure was designed to clamp down swiftly on the flow of financial resources funding Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The package sought to sanction Russian officials, banks, and a shadow fleet of oil tankers, while directing the administration to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., co-drafted the bill alongside Graham.
Reaction from Capitol Hill was swift. Blumenthal accused the president of turning his back on “the majority of Americans, their representatives in both houses of Congress, and our European allies,” stating that the waivers had nothing to do with national security and everything to do with sucking up to Vladimir Putin. Representative Don Beyer, D-Va., posted on social media that lawmakers had warned such a move might happen, calling on Congress to fix a flawed law.”
A Diesel Deal and Political Pressure
Trump’s abrupt suspension follows his announcement a week earlier that the United States had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to lower global energy prices. Per that pact, the president outlined that Moscow would deliver over 300,000 tonnes of diesel straightaway, with another 500,000 tonnes arriving in November alongside 1 million tonnes “immediately thereafter”, plus an extra 3 million tonnes “within a short period of time” subsequently.
Bipartisan members of Congress have targeted the diesel agreement with criticism, claiming it supports Moscow’s military campaign without having any impact on worldwide petroleum costs, which remain high primarily because of Trump’s military conflict with Iran. A survey conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and released on October 1 revealed that the public disapproves of the administration’s management of the Iran conflict and holds the president responsible for inflated expenses.
With approval ratings at near-historic lows, Republicans try to hold control of both chambers of Congress ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for November 3.
Electoral Stakes in South Carolina
The halted sanctions additionally function as a key campaign focal point for Senator Darline Graham—sister of the former senator—who received an appointment to finish out the remaining months of his term and seeks election to the seat on a permanent basis. During a debate earlier in the week against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, Graham expressed pride in helping secure passage of the measure while acknowledging that its implementation remains within the president’s purview.
The White House did not immediately explain how pausing the sanctions served the national interest. The decision was published on the White House website late in the evening with a note confirming that an explanatory report had been submitted to Congress.
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