WASHINGTON DC: Several US representatives and democrats have strongly criticised President Donald Trump decision to waive sanctions related to Russian fuel sales that were to take effect under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, a month after signing the Bill.
The law, which has now been paused, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% on goods brought into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, which include India and China. The move comes amid a diesel deal with Russia in the backdrop of soaring diesel prices in the United States ahead of the November midterm elections.
Several US lawmakers accused Trump of siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
California Governor Gavin Newsom's office accused Trump of getting paid by Putin. "OK. Someone has to be getting paid by Putin. Who? And how much?" the X post read. Representative Don Beyer described the move as a surrender to Putin and a betrayal to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Beyer wrote on X, "Trump just waived all of the sanctions on Russia provided for in the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, just as I and others warned he would. 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." The Democrat also accused Trump of twisting the law and abusing the power, and called for "fixing" the law.
"Trump has proven he will twist this law and abuse the powers it conferred on him, and while he has let the tariff powers lie for the moment, the law as written also empowers Trump to weaponise new trade authorities against our allies and trading partners. Congress must fix this flawed law to stop Trump from capitulating to Putin and ensure that it truly supports Ukraine," Beyer wrote.
Representative Don Bacon said, "The President is prolonging the war, not ending it." (ANI)
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