Highlights:
- Trump says waiver is in US national interest
- Sanctions could have raised oil prices before midterms
- Waiver comes as Trump has been warming towards Russia
- India, China have raised concerns about Russia sanctions bill
President Donald Trump waived key Russia-related US sanctions and tariffs days before they were due to take effect under a law he signed last month, including duties on the country's goods and penalties for buying its oil and gas.
In an executive order released by the White House on Friday, Trump said the waiver was in the national interest of the United States.
The law is intended to increase pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022. Trump, however, has been warming towards Russia and publicly criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, including suggesting that Kyiv needs a new leader.
Weeks before the US midterm elections, in which Trump's Republicans are battling to maintain their narrow grip on both chambers of Congress, the new measures could have risked pushing oil prices even higher while Americans already face increased costs largely attributed to the US-Israeli war on Iran, analysts have said.
The legislation, whose primary backer in Congress was the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on all goods imported into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas. The tariffs would also have applied to any country that knowingly bought Russian oil or gas 30 days after the law was enacted, or was among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions.
The order said the waiver would remain in effect until Trump or his top officials determined that "further action is appropriate".
Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in mid-September.
"I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States," Trump said in the order.
Countries such as China and India, which are among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, have raised concerns about the Russia sanctions bill.
Beijing has said it "consistently opposed long-arm jurisdiction that lacks a basis in international law", while India warned Washington that new tariffs could affect bilateral ties.
The law allows the president to waive sanctions simply by informing Congress that he has determined they are not in the national interest.
US Representative Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, criticised Trump for the waiver, saying he was giving in to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Trump's latest surrender to Putin again betrays our Ukrainian partners and defies clear congressional intent of legislation designed to punish Russia for its illegal war of aggression," Beyer said in a statement.
Trump had also faced criticism from several US senators, including some Republicans, over a recent diesel deal with Russia under which Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian exports and Russia agreed to supply diesel to global markets in an effort to lower fuel prices. Lawmakers who criticised the deal said it would help fund Russia's war effort.