Washington:President Donald Trump has waived significant Russia-related U.S. sanctions and tariffs just days before they were set to be enforced under a law he approved last month.
According to Emirates News Agency, in an executive order issued by the White House on Friday, Trump stated that the waiver aligns with the national interests of the United States.
The legislation, principally supported in Congress by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, aimed to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on all imports from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas. It also targeted any country purchasing oil or gas within 30 days of the law's enactment or among the top five countries aiding Russia in circumventing sanctions.
The executive order specifies that the waiver will persist until further action is deemed appropriate by Trump or his senior officials.
Trump had signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in mid-September. His decision to issue the waiver follows a statement made a week earlier, where he announced that the U.S. had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia in an effort to reduce global energy prices ahead of the midterm elections on November 3rd.