President Trump is halting implementation of most of the sanctions that were to be imposed on Russia under a bipartisan bill he signed last month.
The announcement came in an executive order on Friday night, and was part of a broader pivot by Trump toward courting Moscow as he seeks to end the war in Ukraine and keep energy prices under control ahead of the midterm elections.
The law, which was championed by and named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), targeted certain Russian officials and institutions and would have allowed for tariffs of up to 100% on countries that import Russian oil.
In the executive order , Trump stated that waiving implementation of most aspects of the law was “in the national interests of the United States.”
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The decision follows Trump’s surprise announcement to buy Russian diesel fuel after striking a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and comes as he continues to pressure Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky , to end the war that started when Russia invaded.
“The President is prolonging the war, not ending it,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.), who is retiring after this term.
“ Donald Trump confirms again that he stands on the side of a bloodthirsty thug and the enablers of Russia’s war machine and against the majority of Americans, their representatives in both houses of Congress, and our European allies,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.), a co-sponsor of the legislation. “These waivers have nothing to do with our national security, and everything to do with sucking up to Vladimir Putin.”
The law gave Trump 30 days to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest customers of Russian oil, though it gave the president discretion over the actual tariff rates. That deadline would have expired on Sunday.
Instead, Trump’s executive order stated he had notified Congress that imposing the penalties would be contrary to the national interest.
Trump has only waived implementation for now, meaning he could still choose to impose the penalties at a later date.
The president has been facing bipartisan backlash in recent days over the diesel deal, his call for Zelensky to step down and his demand that Ukraine observe an energy ceasefire that Moscow promptly broke.
Write to Dave Lawler at david.lawler@wsj.com