Trump Puts Congress's Russia Sanctions Package on Hold, Citing National Interest
A week after announcing a Russian diesel deal, the president signed an order pausing a sweeping sanctions law that Congress passed with large bipartisan majorities.
President Trump on Friday signed an executive order pausing a sweeping new sanctions package aimed at the Russian economy, telling Congress the delay is in the national interest, according to the New York Post.
The legislation, named for the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, was designed to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fueling Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump had signed it into law last month. The Post reports it passed the House and Senate by large bipartisan majorities after Graham's sudden death, with lawmakers urged along by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The timing is what makes the move notable. Just a week earlier, Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Post reports that Trump said the U.S. agreed to buy diesel from Russia to try to bring down global energy prices, a step that could hurt Ukraine's position. According to Trump's announcement, Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter." Trump had said the call with Putin was expected to cover a suspected plague case in Russia, but the diesel deal was the headline.
The Post notes that the administration had been mostly quiet since the sanctions bill passed. It also reports that Zelensky said Trump had "betrayed" Ukraine with the diesel deal.
Where does the administration stand? In a related report, the Post says officials believe the president's current course, including the diesel deal, remains the best way to secure peace in Ukraine. Officials described the deal as a carrot to get Putin back to the negotiating table and to lay the groundwork for a lasting settlement.
Supporters will say a president has to keep every tool in hand when he is trying to end a war and ease energy costs at home. Skeptics, including some who voted for the bill, will ask why a law passed overwhelmingly is being set aside so soon. Both arguments will get a hearing as the pause plays out.