WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.
The sanctions were intended to target Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions, and were part of a law that was named after Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who died in July after spending more than a year building support for the measure. The law, which is designed to squeeze the financial lifelines sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine, also provided Trump with additional tariff authority that he could use to punish countries that continue to trade with Russia.
The White House has broad authority to issue sanctions exemptions or waivers, and the new law requires Trump to notify Congress only if he opts against imposing the economic restrictions on Russia. Two days before the law was set to take effect, Trump exercised that power.
“I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions and duties provided for in the Graham Act,” Trump said in the order. “I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States.”
The order does not explain why waiving the sanctions is in the interests of the United States or what rationale Trump is providing to Congress for the waivers.
The decision comes as Trump has in recent weeks embraced Russia and turned against Ukraine amid frustration that Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries are pushing up oil prices around the world. Elevated oil prices are making gasoline more expensive in the United States, fueling inflation weeks ahead of midterm elections that could cost Republicans control of Congress.
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Trump announced last week that he had reached a deal with Putin, and that the United States would begin importing Russian diesel fuel. The Treasury Department temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports “to allow the supply of Russian diesel to the global market,” and gave Russian energy producers a general license to sell diesel fuel until April.
That decision angered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and drew backlash from European officials. This week, a bipartisan group of senators urged Trump to reverse the sanctions waiver on diesel fuel.
The move to waive the sanctions that were enacted in the new law drew a swift rebuke from critics in Congress, who had predicted that Trump would not impose them.
“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,” said Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the ranking member on the Banking Committee, called Trump’s move an “abject failure” of leadership.
“By waiving these sanctions, Trump is thumbing his nose at Congress’ direction that he ratchet up pressure on the Kremlin, and enabling Vladimir Putin to continue his war of aggression,” Warren said.
The sanctions law was the brainchild of Graham, a Russia hawk and close ally of Trump’s. The legislation, which was set to take effect Sunday, won bipartisan support despite concern that the president would not heed the sanctions requirements, and that he would potentially misuse the tariff authority.
The law gave Trump the power to target countries importing Russian oil and gas with up to 100% tariffs, subject all Russian imports to the United States to up to 500% tariffs, and take greater aim at Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and banking system.
In the executive order, Trump said that the United States would “monitor” the purchases of Russian oil by other countries and that his advisers would recommend whether to take further action on tariffs.
It is not clear if waiving some of the sanctions means that Russia will be welcomed back into the Western financial system after years of being an outcast.
“The underlying sanctions architecture remains in place, and no one wants to be caught holding the risk when the waiver is pulled,” said Daniel Tannebaum, a partner at Oliver Wyman, a consulting firm that advises banks on anti-money laundering and sanctions matters. “I’m not sure what positive impact to the American economy will be derived in reality.”
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