Trump waives most new Russia sanctions, drawing bipartisan criticism

The waiver, announced on Oct. 16, has been called “beyond irresponsible” by Republican leaders and “unfortunate” by President Zelenskyy.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 18 Oct 2026 03:46:30 GMT

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 16 that he was waiving virtually all of the new sanctions against Russia that he had signed earlier in the week, prompting condemnation from both parties in Congress and a rebuke from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

What happened

In an executive order signed on Friday, Oct. 16, Trump suspended the implementation of a bipartisan sanctions package targeting Russia’s oil, finance and defense sectors. The order states the waiver will remain in effect until the president or senior officials decide otherwise. The sanctions package, known as the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, had been set to take effect within days of its signing on Sep. 19.

What the reports add

Al Jazeera reported that the waiver was described by the White House as being in the “U.S. national interest” and noted that the decision came just days before the sanctions were due to take effect. CBS News highlighted the timing of the waiver, noting that it came as Russian strikes continued against Ukraine and that the move has sparked backlash across the political spectrum.

What was said

Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina called the decision “beyond irresponsible,” accusing the administration of capitulating to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet also quoted the senator as asking, “What part of enforcing a law passed 86‑11 by the Senate does the President think he can ignore?”

Democratic criticism was echoed by other unnamed lawmakers, with Al Jazeera noting that both parties condemned the move as undermining support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the waiver as “unfortunate” and urged U.S. citizens and lawmakers to continue supporting the sanctions, as reported in Felo’s earlier coverage on Oct. 17.

How it came about

Trump’s decision follows a week‑old diesel import deal with Russia that allows the United States to receive millions of tons of Russian fuel, a deal referenced in Felo’s Oct. 17 article on the tariff waiver. The sanctions package itself was signed into law on Sep. 19 after broad bipartisan support, as detailed in Felo’s Sep. 19 report on the Lindsey Graham Act. The pause was announced two days before the law’s implementation deadline, aligning with the executive order that preserves the administration’s authority to reinstate the measures if needed.

Key facts

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Oct. 16 waiving most of the new Russia sanctions he had signed earlier in the week. (aljazeera.com)
The waiver was described by the White House as being in the U.S. national interest and will remain in effect until the president or senior officials decide otherwise. (aljazeera.com)
Republican Senator Thom Tillis called the decision "beyond irresponsible" and said it capitulates to Vladimir Putin. (aljazeera.com)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the pause "unfortunate" and urged continued support for the sanctions. (cbsnews.com)