Trump Suspended The Sanctions That Graham Had Been Pushing For

• 17.10.2026, 8:07

Allegedly in the interests of the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended the imposition of new sanctions related to the sale of Russian energy resources even before they were set to take effect. These restrictions were provided for in a bill promoted by Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and signed by Trump last month.

The corresponding executive order was published on the White House website.

The document provided for the possibility of imposing tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas. The sale of energy resources remains one of the key sources of funding for the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine.

In the executive order, Trump stated that refraining from imposing these sanctions at this stage is in the national interest of the United States. He also reported that he had sent a corresponding notification and a report to Congress explaining the rationale for this decision. Trump’s decision came amid deteriorating relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and concerns among European allies about a possible weakening of U.S. support for Kyiv.

The White House also put pressure on Ukraine, demanding that it halt strikes on Russian oil facilities. Washington is seeking to curb rising oil prices ahead of the U.S. midterm congressional elections. Ukraine briefly agreed to the U.S. request but subsequently resumed the attacks.

Meanwhile, Russia continued to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure.