Donald Trump has put on hold a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy, telling Congress the pause on the legislation passed by both chambers was in the national interest.<\/p>\n
In an executive order on Friday, the US president said he was waiving many \u2060sanctions, restrictions and duties \u2060on Russia, in a move that comes as he has been publicly criticising \u2060Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, including suggesting that Ukraine<\/a> needs a \u200bnew leader.<\/p>\n Trump signed the legislation<\/a> last month, after Congress passed the measure in an act of rare bipartisan agreement. It sought to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fuelling Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n The legislation \u2013 whose \u200cprimary backer in \u200cCongress<\/a> was the late senator Lindsey Graham \u2013 sanctions Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers that keeps Russian energy moving and was due to be implemented in two days.<\/p>\n It also directs Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia\u2019s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s announcement comes a week after Trump said the US had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia<\/a> to try to bring down global energy prices, upending years of US and western pressure on the Kremlin to end its war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n Trump said last week that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1m tons \u201cimmediately thereafter\u201d. Russia would deliver an additional 3m tons \u201cwithin a short period of time\u201d after that, he wrote.<\/p>\n The president has face widespread criticism after making the announcement, with a dozen US senators \u2013 including six Republicans \u2013 calling on Trump \u2060to rescind his diesel deal.<\/p>\n A letter from the bipartisan group of lawmakers sent on Tuesday urged Trump to execute the sanctions authorities included in the legislation passed last month, called the \u201cLindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026\u201d.<\/p>\n Under the legislation he signed into law, Trump had until 18 October to impose the sanctions and tariffs on Russian energy, or waive them. The administration had not told lawmakers whether it would impose the sanctions or issue a waiver.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy said on Friday the diesel deal would mean cash \u201cwill start flowing back into Russia\u201d, as he met European leaders in Brussels<\/a>.<\/p>\n Trump \u2060blindsided Zelenskyy last weekend by announcing that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to target each other\u2019s energy facilities. Facing midterm elections next month, Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for \u200bpushing up energy prices that could cost his Republican party its thin majorities in the US \u200cSenate and House of Representatives.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s administration is suspected of withholding intelligence from Ukraine on incoming Russian ballistic missile strikes, and of throttling Starshield, the military version<\/a> of the Starlink satellite internet network, to prevent it from being used on drones flying faster than 100mph (161km\/h). Neither has officially been confirmed.<\/p>\n The US sanctions legislation has also become a campaign centerpiece for Senator Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister appointed to serve out the remaining months of his term, who is also running to replace him in the Senate more permanently.<\/p>\n