US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is waiving many sanctions, restrictions, and duties days before they were to take effect under a bill that he signed into law last month.
Trump's executive order comes as he has been warming toward Russia and publicly criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, including suggesting that Ukraine needs a new leader.
The legislation, whose primary backer in Congress was the late Senator Lindsey Graham, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% within 30 days on all goods brought into the US from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, as well as any country that knowingly bought oil or gas 30 days after the law was enacted or was among the top five countries helping Russia evade sanctions.
Trump claims waiver is in US's 'national interest'
Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in mid-September.
"I have submitted to 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 released by the White House on Friday.
Countries such as India, which is among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, have raised concerns about the Russia sanctions bill.