President Donald Trump is defending his decision to waive key sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia, after Republicans accused him of undermining support for Ukraine and "capitulating" to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said enforcing the measures risked derailing negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, insisting that progress was being made in diplomatic discussions.
“My decision on Russia is a very simple one,” Trump wrote. “I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.”
Trump said he could sign the document later but that he wanted to avoid antagonizing Russia because he believes Moscow might otherwise increase its support for Iran. “Perhaps more importantly, Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing,” Trump wrote.
He also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of hurting U.S. interests by targeting Russian diesel refineries, adding that “farmers, ranchers, and businesses of all kinds are suffering greatly from this." Meanwhile, Trump wrote, Russia was continuing to send millions of barrels of diesel to world markets at low prices.
Trump even claimed the Zelensky "doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did."
Zelensky has not publicly responded to Trump's latest comment but he had previously criticized Trump's decision to lift the sanctions.
The president also faced significant backlash from members of his own party, including Sen. Thom Tillis, who called the move “beyond irresponsible,” and Rep. Don Bacon, who warned that Trump was “prolonging the war, not ending it."
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.
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Trump's Sanctions Waiver: What To Know
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was designed to increase economic pressure on Moscow over its war against Ukraine, including through tariffs targeting countries that continue purchasing Russian energy.
Trump signed the legislation on September 18. But in an executive order issued Friday, he waived the application of key sanctions, restrictions and tariffs, citing U.S. national interests.
The additional penalties were scheduled to begin Sunday but will remain on hold while the waiver is in force.
The administration has indicated that the decision may not be final. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Trump wants up to 60 days to assess the economic impact of imposing the sanctions and tariffs, after the president signed an order waiving the measures on Friday.
Republicans Criticize Decision To Lift Sanctions
Several Republicans have argued that Trump's decision runs counter to the purpose of the sanctions law and risks weakening Washington's ability to pressure Putin.
Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, warned that, "the President is prolonging the war, not ending it," while Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, referring to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, whose name is attached to the legislation, wrote: “Lindsey would be appalled.”
Senator Ted Cruz called the waiver a mistake, adding that the administration should have considered other ways to lower fuel prices.
“The current path, unfortunately, just benefits Putin," he warned.
Sen. Tillis agreed, writing on X, “It's unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day."
Tillis also questioned why the administration would not enforce legislation that passed the Senate 86-11, and argued Trump should address the war with Iran to lower energy prices rather than “doing a solid for Vladimir Putin.”
Rep. French Hill of Arkansas said the United States should be increasing economic pressure on Russia rather than easing it. He also said he had requested a classified briefing on the administration's reasoning.
The criticism has not been limited to Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Richard Blumenthal, both Democrats, have also condemned the waiver, arguing that it benefits Moscow while Russia's invasion continues.
Not every lawmaker opposed the sanctions waiver.
Republican Senator James Lankford, of Oklahoma, said the president was attempting to balance pressure on Russia with the need to address high energy prices affecting American households, during a Sunday appearance on NBC's Meet the Press.
“The president has the ability under the statute to be able to look at national interests,” Lankford said. “He's trying to walk this fine balance."
Lankford argued that the waiver did not mean Trump was siding with Putin, pointing to continued U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine, the provision of weapons and other sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies.
“Any belief that President Trump is aligning with President Putin is not true,” Lankford said.
However, Lankford acknowledged the underlying dispute over Russian energy purchases. He said the United States should not buy Russian oil directly, while arguing that domestic energy production and refinery capacity were important to reducing prices.
The White House has defended Trump's decision, saying that enforcing the sanctions immediately would impede U.S. efforts to negotiate a comprehensive peace agreement.
“The President retains the ability to exercise these authorities at any time if he determines that doing so would advance national interests,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement Saturday.
Energy Prices and the Russian Diesel Deal
The sanctions controversy follows Trump's announcement of an agreement with Putin to increase Russian diesel supplies to global markets, a move the president said could help ease energy costs.
The agreement has also drawn bipartisan opposition. A group of 12 senators urged Trump in an October 13 letter to rescind the deal, warning that increased Russian energy sales could provide Moscow with additional revenue to fund its war against Ukraine.
The senators argued that allowing Russia to sell diesel more freely would undermine U.S. security interests and weaken support for Ukraine.
The sanctions waiver and diesel agreement are related to the administration's broader effort to address energy prices, but the executive order does not specifically mention the diesel deal.
Rubio has defended the administration's approach, saying the review period would allow officials to assess the economic effects of enforcing the sanctions. The administration has argued that energy-market stability and diplomatic negotiations must be considered alongside the objective of pressuring Russia.
Critics counter that easing restrictions could undermine the sanctions' intended purpose at a time when Russian attacks on Ukraine continue.
Ukraine Pushes Back
Zelensky has criticized Trump's decision to waive the sanctions, warning that easing pressure on Moscow could encourage further Russian aggression rather than help bring the war to an end.
“The decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me,” Zelensky wrote on X on Saturday. “It definitely helps only the Russians,” he added.
Zelensky also warned that the sanctions waiver could signal the beginning of further concessions to Moscow, pointing to Trump's separate agreement to increase Russian diesel supplies to global markets.
“I believe the Diesel Deal is the first step. Unfortunately, I don't think Putin can be stopped this way,” Zelensky told reporters. “On the contrary, he feels pleased and happy to have this kind of support.”
His comments came after Russian forces launched attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, striking more than 15 power generation and transmission sites, according to Zelensky. The attacks have heightened concerns over Ukraine's ability to maintain electricity and heating supplies as winter approaches.
Zelensky urged Trump to use his position to press Putin to halt the attacks and end the war, while maintaining that weakening sanctions would not achieve that goal.