Trump defends Russia sanctions waiver

Washington, October 19 (IANS) US President Donald Trump defended his decision to suspend sweeping new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia and major buyers of Russian energy, saying he did not want to undermine negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.The President's latest explanation came two days after he signed an executive order waiving major provisions of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, including additional tariffs that could have affected India because of its purchases of Russian oil.Trump said his administration was making progress towards a negotiated settlement and suggested that imposing fresh economic penalties at this stage could push Moscow away from the negotiating table."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 wrote on Truth Social.The President also linked his decision to developments involving Iran and global energy markets.He argued that Russia was providing less assistance to Iran than it potentially could and said he wanted to preserve that situation. He also criticised Ukrainian attacks on Russian diesel refineries, arguing that disruptions to fuel supplies were affecting consumers and businesses internationally.Under the executive order signed on Friday, the administration formally provided for tariffs of 500 per cent on certain Russian goods and 100 per cent on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, subject to statutory conditions.However, the same order waived the application of those additional duties and most of the new sanctions provisions.The waiver does not remove existing US sanctions imposed under earlier executive orders against Russia.For India, the decision is significant because the legislation could expose major purchasers of Russian energy to additional US tariffs. The waiver means those new duties are not being applied under the order at present.Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the administration needed time to assess the wider economic consequences of imposing the sanctions and tariffs.Rubio specifically identified India among the countries that could be affected by the legislation.He indicated that Trump wanted to use a period of up to 60 days to consider the implications for the global economy and the United States before determining the next course of action.It provides that the waivers will remain effective until the President or the Secretary of State, following the required consultations, determines that further action is appropriate.The decision has drawn criticism from lawmakers who favour stronger economic pressure on Moscow.Several Republicans and Democrats have questioned whether suspending the sanctions would weaken Washington's leverage over Russia at a time when the conflict in Ukraine continues.The White House has defended the waiver as consistent with efforts to secure a negotiated peace agreement.Trump's latest remarks also underscored his differences with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the conduct of the war and its economic consequences.The Graham Act, signed into law on September 18, was designed to strengthen economic pressure on Russia through sanctions, restrictions and tariffs, including measures affecting countries purchasing Russian energy. It also gave the President authority to waive specified provisions after certifying to Congress that doing so served US national interests.