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← Signal: State & Power

Trump halts Russia sanctions passed by Congress, citing national interest

Confirmed1 source · Oct 17, 2026

The president has suspended implementation of sweeping bipartisan legislation targeting the Russian economy, while also pursuing a diesel purchase agreement with Moscow.

Trump halts Russia sanctions passed by Congress, citing national interest
Image via The Guardian

What happened

On Friday, President Trump issued an executive order waiving sanctions, restrictions, and duties on Russia that were included in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which both chambers of Congress had passed and Trump had signed into law last month. The legislation was set to be implemented within two days and included sanctions on Russian officials and banks, restrictions on a shadow tanker fleet, and authorization for up to 100% tariffs on top importers of Russian oil and gas. The suspension came one week after Trump announced the U.S. would purchase over 300,000 metric tons of diesel from Russia immediately, with additional commitments of 500,000 tons in November, 1 million tons "immediately thereafter," and 3 million tons "within a short period of time." Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the suspension of the Graham Act "an important and truly historic moment."

What's disputed

The Trump administration's withholding of intelligence on Russian ballistic missile strikes and throttling of Starshield military satellite internet are suspected but officially unconfirmed.